Spiced parsnip purée with golden crumbs

Name: Spiced parsnip purée with golden crumbs
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: For the purée; 50g unsalted butter; 1 onion, finely sliced; 2 mace blades; 2 bay leaves; 6 cloves; 400ml whole milk, plus a large extra splash; 150ml double cream; 600g parsnips, cut into even chunks; For the crumb topping; 2 tbsp olive oil; 150g sourdough bread, roughly blitzed in a food processor or torn into small chunks; 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, plus a few extra sprigs to serve

Published: 19 Jan 17
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Velvet-smooth parsnip purée topped with crunchy breadcrumbs, is the ultimate Christmas side dish – once you’ve tried parsnips like this, you’ll never look back.

Check out all our Christmas dinner recipes and start planning your feast.

Serves 8
Hands-on time 30 min, simmering time 25-30 min

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Ingredients

For the purée

50g unsalted butter
1 onion, finely sliced
2 mace blades
2 bay leaves
6 cloves
400ml whole milk, plus a large extra splash
150ml double cream
600g parsnips, cut into even chunks

For the crumb topping

2 tbsp olive oil
150g sourdough bread, roughly blitzed in a food processor or torn into small chunks
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, plus a few extra sprigs to serve

Method

To make the purée, melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion. Cook over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, stirring often until the onion has softened but not coloured. Add the mace, bay leaves and cloves (count them going in and count them coming out) with the 400ml milk and the cream. Bring to a very gentle simmer, then add the parsnips. Cook, covered, over a medium heat for 25-30 minutes until the parsnips are tender. Take off the heat and remove the mace, bay leaves and cloves. Whizz the parsnip mixture in a blender for perfectly smooth results, or use a stick blender. Taste and season.
To make the crumb topping, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the breadcrumbs and thyme with some salt. Cook, stirring, until the crumbs are crisp then set aside on kitchen paper.
To serve, reheat the parsnip purée in a pan on the hob, stirring in a good extra splash of milk. Spoon into a warmed serving dish and scatter with the crumbs. Serve immediately.

Recipe from December 2016 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 308kcals
Fat: 21.2g (11.3g saturated)
Protein: 5.4g
Carbohydrates: 21g (7.2 sugars)
Fibre: 4.8
Salt: 0.3g

delicious. tips

Make the purée (step 1) up to 48 hours ahead and store, covered, in the fridge. Or freeze in a freezerproof container or food bag for up to a month. Defrost before reheating on the hob or in a microwave, stirring often – you may need to add a splash or two more of milk.

Toast the breadcrumbs (step 2) 24 hours in advance and store in an airtight container somewhere cool and dry. Warm in a hot oven for 5 minutes to crisp up before serving.

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