Comfort & Mash Part Deux
I seem to be settling into a pattern with sweet and savoury recipes taking it in turns to appear on these pages. Returning to savoury I’m not quite ready to move on from mash so today I’m bringing you a parsnip, apple and onion mash. Unlike potatoes, parsnips are very quick to prepare and with the aid of a speed peeler they are shorn in no time. They yield easily under the knife to be cut into even sized chunks before quickly rendering themselves tender and ready to mash after simmering in a pan of boiling water.
Autumn lends itself well to nice slow roast meats such as pork belly which basks away happily unattended in a low heat oven for a couple of hours. It’s an extremely economical piece of meat but be aware that it will shrink in the cooking so buy bigger than you think you will need.
Don’t dream of buying apple sauce. Ever. Take a large cooking apple, core it but don’t peel it then cut a groove around its middle just through the skin then cook it in the microwave for 1 or 2 minute blasts at a time until it collapses into a beautiful pulp that you easily scrape off the skin (approx 5 mins total depending on size) – it needs nothing added and a large cooking apple will yield four generous portions of apple sauce.
Parsnip, Apple & Onion Mash:
You will need:
2 large parsnips
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 medium onion
1 tsp dried parsley
1 large cooking apple
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
Method:
Peel and chop the parsnips and boil in a saucepan of water until tender enough to mash.
Meanwhile finely chop the onion and soften in a frying pan with 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil and 1 tsp parsley for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile core the cooking apple and cut a groove around its middle through the skin then cook it in the microwave for 1 0r 2 minute blasts at a time until it collapses into a pulp that you easily scrape off the skin (takes 4 to 5 minutes depending on size).
Drain and mash the parsnip with the 2 tbsp butter and the softened onion. Stir in the cooked apple and season with salt and pepper.
Lovely with roast pork belly, cabbage and some extra apple sauce.
Enjoy!
‘Til next time, Sheila