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Thursday, March 16, 2006

Parsnip Pancakes



I've never done much with parsnips. I'm not keen on them mashed, they're too sweet. I like them roasted with other root vegetables, but they're really an afterthought and I wouldn't miss them. And they don't go with cheese, a serious strike for me.

I like the idea of parsnip chips, but when I came across a recipe for parsnip cakes in my favorite Irish cookbook, In An Irish Country Kitchenby Clare Connery, the recipe looked so easy, I thought I'd give them a try.

The recipe was simple. Cook and mash the parsnips, season, add a little flour, form into small patties, dip in beaten egg and breadcrumbs and fry in butter until golden brown on each side. The mixture was very soft so I recommend keeping the pancakes small (about 2" across) to make sure they keep together. I used the back of my spatula to press the cakes down as they cooked. Definitely drain off any surplus oil before serving.

They were absolutely delicious! Frying them with the egg and breadcrumbs made them much more savory, yet the parsnip's distinct sweetness was there. I added a little creme fraiche with chives to make them pretty.

They were delicious on their own, but I plan to serve them at dinner with veggie sausages, bacon, and baked beans.
(Later note: These were so good that we scoffed the lot as appetizers.)

p.s. I've started a new blog called Culinary Quotes.If you have a favorite culinary quote, feel free to email it to me. If I post it, I'll list you and your blog as the source.

p.p.s. If you have a young brood of future foodies, check out my review of Food for Thought, a cool concept book for kids with a food theme, at BookCarousel.

5 Comments:

Blogger Alanna Kellogg said...

Great "pancakes" ...

6:22 PM  
Blogger Catherine said...

Hi AK,
thank you. My gran used to make potato pancakes (with leftover mashed potato) for supper with a fried egg, bread and butter, and tomatoes from their greenhouse.

So simple and so good...

8:42 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You're a saviour!

I had to buy a bag of parsnips but only used a couple. I'd been wondering what to do with the rest of the bag ... now I have a recipe to try!

8:19 PM  
Blogger Catherine said...

Ivonne,

I remember your lovely vegetable photo. These really were good and different for parsnips. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

9:16 PM  
Blogger K Allrich said...

These look totally yummy! My husband loves parsnips. I see pancakes in our future. Thank you!

6:56 AM  

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