The Hairy Bikers honey roast parsnips are easy to make with only five minutes of prep time and three ingredients.
Delicious as part of your roast dinner feast, roast parsnips can also be served in warm salads or roughly chopped for bubble and squeak. The honey on the roast parsnips compliments the natural sweetness of the root vegetable and creates a delicious sticky coating. This side dish is perfect on a festive table, but parsnips are in season from September through to March, so this simple side dish is a great choice all through the winter.
Ingredients
- 1kg parsnips
- 2 tbsp goose fat or vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Peel and cut the parsnips into chunks. We tend to cut off the pointy end and then cut the thicker top into pieces roughly the same size so they roast evenly. Smaller parsnips can just be peeled and cut in half lengthways. Heat the oil or goose fat in a roasting tin until smoking.
- Toss the parsnip pieces in the hot fat or oil until they are nicely coated, then sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. Put in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes or until cooked and starting to turn golden. The exact cooking time will depend on how big you cut the chunks, so keep an eye on them.
- Add the honey or maple syrup and roll the parsnips in the sticky juices. Return them to the oven for 10 minutes and continue cooking until golden.
Top tips for making the Hairy Bikers honey roast parsnips
The Hairy Bikers say: "Don’t leave the parsnips in the oven too long or the honey (or syrup) will caramelise too much and turn black and bitter."
If you’re roasting potatoes at the same time, we recommend using different trays where possible so you can put the parsnips in a few minutes later, as they take less time to cook.
What is the best way to cut parsnips for roasting?
Most people cut roast parsnips into batons. The most important thing is that the parsnips are an even size so they cook at the same time.
How do I pick the best parsnips?
Parsnips are in season from late summer until about March, though they're available most of the year. At the beginning of the season, they are usually smaller and look pretty when they are roasted just halved down the middle, rather than chopped.
However, later in the season, they get bigger and sweeter, especially after the first frost, so these are lovely to eat too. Really large ones can get woody in the center - in this case, you can always cut out and discard the core.
Do I need to parboil parsnips?
There's no need to parboil parsnip, particularly if they are small, young ones. However, older, woodier specimens can be parboiled so they stay nice and tender in the center when you cook them.
Do I need to peel parsnips before cooking them?
It's not always necessary to peel parsnip before cooking them, especially younger or thinner ones. Scrub them with a vegetable brush to remove all the dirt. If your parsnips have been at the bottom of your fridge or vegetable basket for a few days, you may prefer to peel them as the skins can become tougher.
Read our full guide on how to roast parsnips and if you want more side dish inspiration check out these honey glazed carrots and parsnips. You might also like these honey and mustard parsnips, they are especially good with roast beef.
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