These Crispy Carrots and Parsnips make an interesting side vegetable especially in winter when parsnips are most readily available.
You could do one or the other but the combination just makes it more interesting. Both root vegetables are naturally sweet so they complement each other well.
You steam the vegetables sticks first until they are just short of being cooked. Then you coat them in milk, then flour with spices.
The recipe calls for a hint of curry which gives them an interesting twist. You don't have to use the curry if you don't have any or are not a fan.
You can do this part ahead of time and store them in the fridge till you are ready to finish them off at dinner time. This makes them perfect for entertaining. These would make a great Thanksgiving side- you could do the initial cook a day ahead and then the final fry at serving time or fry a bit ahead and hold in a warm oven while you are carving the bird. I don't think I would use the curry for a thanksgiving side if you are using the traditional sage, thyme etc.
I tried baking them to avoid the oil of frying but they were just bland and not really very crispy. So I did fry them in a bit of oil. It only takes a few minutes to brown them up. You have to watch them because the sugars in them make them susceptible to burning.
So heat your oil in a heavy skillet - a cast iron skillet is perfect but any heavy skillet will do. Add your vegetable sticks trying not to crowd them. When they brown up on the outside they are done.
You can hold them in a warm oven if you want to fry them up just before guests arrive or if you are serving other courses first.
Crispy Carrots and Parsnips
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Save Print Pin FacebookIngredients
- 4 large carrots
- 4 large parsnips
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon curry powder optional
- olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Peel the carrots and parsnips. Cut them into batons shapes. The widths will be different due to the shape of the vegetables but try to get them to be the same length. Mine were about 4" long.
- Steam or boil for about 8 minutes until they are tender crisp. Allow them to cool.
- Mix the flour and spices together in a large sealable bag.
- Toss the vegetable sticks in the milk to coat them. Then drop them in the bag in batches so they are not over-crowded. Shake the bag to ensure they are evenly coated.
- Tap off any excess flour. At this stage you can spread them out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper if you want to store them for a few hours until you are ready to cook them.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the vegetables in batches so that they brown and crisp up in a single layer. Add oil as required to keep them from sticking. Repeat until all the sticks have been browned. You can transfer them to a serving dish and hold for a little while in a warm oven or serve immediately.
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