As a kid I never much cared for parsnips. My dad was wild about them, but I was unmoved, figuring that if they were white and ended in “-nip,” they must somehow be related to turnips. And I was definitely not a fan of turnips.
It was Julia Child who turned me around. One time at a live demo she made a parsnip puree and I was blown away. Certainly there was no confusing this sweet, nutty, velvety puree with a stinky turnip.
How’d she do it? By reserving the liquid in which she cooked the parsnips, boiling it down until it became syrupy, then adding it back to the pureed parsnips. So simple, but such amazing results. This greatly decreases the wateriness that typically afflicts non-starchy vegetables when they’re pureed. Indeed, it thickens the puree. And it amps the flavor, too.
This recipe is my adaptation of Julia’s original. The biggest change was to reduce the amount of butter quite a bit, which I don’t think anyone will miss. (Sorry, Julia!) I never tell my guests what it is when I serve it. Afterward, without fail, they tell me how much they loved the mashed potatoes. I love enlightening them.
Winter is the season for parsnips, though when some varieties get too mature they develop a woody core, which then needs to be cut out. Otherwise, these sneaky little devils are wonderful at Thanksgiving, a lighter alternative to actual mashed potatoes during a feast that’s usually one high-calorie dish after another.
MASHED “POTATO” PARSNIPS
Makes 4 servings
Start to finish: 50 minutes (20 minutes active)
2 pounds medium parsnips, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
Kosher salt, to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Ground black pepper, to taste
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