Roasted parsnips with sherry-maple glaze and chanterelle mushrooms

Baby parsnips are so tender that you don’t even need to peel them. (And if you did, there wouldn’t be much vegetable left!) Parsnips have a sharp flavor reminiscent of parsley’s and become incredibly sweet when roasted. Here they are drizzled with a glaze of maple syrup, a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, and a splash of vinegar. Chanterelle mushrooms don’t come cheap, but they add a woodsy flavor to this winter dish.

Credit: Crossroads / Artisan Books

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 24 baby parsnips, trimmed, or 8 regular parsnips, root ends trimmed and peeled
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 225 g chanterelles, wiped clean, quartered if large
• finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
• flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

Instructions

To prepare the parsnips: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). 

If using larger parsnips, peel and quarter them lengthwise so the pieces will be uniform in size and cook more evenly. Put the parsnips in a large mixing bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, season with kosher salt and black pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Spread the parsnips out in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time, until tender and slightly charred. Set aside. (The roasted parsnips can be prepared a couple of hours in advance, covered, and held at room temperature. Reheat before serving.) 

Meanwhile, to prepare the glaze, combine the maple syrup, vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, swirling the pan around occasionally, until the mixture is reduced and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Cover and hold warm. 

To prepare the mushrooms, put a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the butter substitute. When the butter substitute has melted, add the shallot and sauté until soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, tossing to combine. Add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, until they lose their moisture, soften, and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

To serve, criss-cross the parsnips on a platter, overlapping them just slightly. Drizzle with the maple glaze and top with the mushrooms. Scatter chopped parsley on top and season with flaked sea salt.

Excerpted from Crossroads by Tal Ronnen with Scot Jones. (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2015. Photographs by Lisa Romerein.

View our Readable feasts review and more recipes from the book here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.