Skye Gyngell is the head chef at Petersham Nurseries and here is the second recipe from her autumnal menu from her new book How I Cook.
"Parsnips have a wonderfully sweet nutty taste, which goes beautifully with rabbit, and conveniently this side dish can be prepared ahead of time. Unlike potatoes, parsnips may be puréed using a food processor - ensuring that the final texture is perfectly smooth."
"A good dollop of mustard stirred in just before serving adds a sharp depth that rounds off the flavour. Select parsnips that are blemish-free and small, yet feel heavy for their size."
Jason Lowe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
12 small parsnips
few thyme sprigs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
40g unsalted butter
120ml crème fraîche
1 heaped tbsp Dijon mustard
Method:
1. Peel the parsnips, halve lengthways and remove the central core, using a small knife, then cut into even-sized chunks.
2. Place in a saucepan with the thyme and add sufficient cold water to cover. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the parsnip chunks fall apart when pierced with a fork.
3. Drain thoroughly and discard the thyme.
4. Tip the parsnips into a food processor and add the butter, crème fraîche and a little salt and pepper. Purée until completely smooth, then add the mustard and process briefly until evenly combined.
5. Just before serving, reheat the parsnip purée very gently in a pan, stirring frequently so that it does not catch on the base of the pan.
How to create Skye's menu at home
These recipes were taken from Skye Gyngell's How I Cook which is published by Quadrille.