These oven-baked Parsnip Fries are irresistible – if you’ve never tried parsnip fries before, it’s about time! Parsnip is often considered to be a somewhat boring root vegetable (I admit, guilty as charged), but these parsnip fries are far from boring. In fact, be warned they are unlikely to make it on the plate as you want to gobble them straight from the oven tray! There’s something highly addictive about them, they have this unique earthy flavour that’s at the same time sweet and slightly nutty. Nutritionwise, they are packed with vitamins and minerals so they make a healthier alternative to potatoes!
Parsnip Fries
🍴 Servings: 2 – 3
🕒 Hands-on: ~ 15 minutes
🎛 Cooking time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 500g parsnips, peeled & cut into thin sticks
- 35g flour
- 25g parmesan, finely grated
- handful of fresh thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¼ – ½ tsp black pepper
- 1.5 – 2 tbsp olive oil
STEPS
1 Mix together the flour, parmesan and thyme in a mixing bowl. Use half of the salt and pepper to season.
2 Next, prep the parsnips. Cut the peeled parsnips into quarters lengthways and remove the woody core. Then cut into “fries”, about 7cm long 1cm thick.
3 Bring a medium pan of water to the boil and parboil the parsnips for 5 minutes. Drain well.
Turn the oven on now, preheat it to 160℃! Also line your oven tray with baking paper.
4 Toss the parsnips in the flour mixture in 2-3 batches and place onto a large oven tray. Sprinkle rest of the seasoning on top and drizzle with olive. Cook the parsnips fries in 160℃ (fan) for about 25 minutes until golden, flipping halfway through.
5 Serve straight from the oven! They are really tasty even without any dip or sauce 🙂
Notes:
- Core — Even though it’s a bit more work, I’d recommend chopping off the parsnip core as it can be quite tough and woody tasting
- Cutting — Parsnips are not the easiest thing to cut evenly because of their shape. After removing the woody core, you probably need to cut the thicker part into several thin fries whereas the thinner end should already be fine as it is. However, don’t worry too much about the cutting
- Thyme — Fresh thyme makes the parsnip fries tastier but you can substitute fresh thyme for dried. If substituting, only add about 1 teaspoon as the flavour is more concentrated. You can also replace thyme with rosemary, sage or oregano
- Cooking — Try separating the parsnip fries before baking (or at least when flipping halfway through). They can overlap a little on the oven tray but if they are on top of each other they won’t crisp up that well
- Baking paper — The parsnip fries won’t crisp up in the oven if they are cooked on a non-stick baking mat. For best results use baking paper!
ALLERGEN & DIET INFO:
(V) Note that these parsnip fries are not vegetarian as parmesan usually contains rennet, which is an enzyme found in the stomach lining of goats and calves. There are some vegetarian-friendly versions of parmesan available at some grocery stores, so make sure to check the label!
Main equipment:
Mixing bowl
Medium saucepan (2 – 3L)
Chopping board + knife
Large oven tray + baking paper
Optional:
Colander, Grater, Kitchen scales
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