Irish Carrot Parsnip Mash Recipes

CARROT AND PARSNIP MASH

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots, cover partially, and simmer 5 minutes. Add parsnips, and cover partially. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.
• Return vegetables to saucepan, and stir over medium heat until any excess moisture evaporates. Transfer to food processor. Add butter, and process until smooth. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Can be made 4 hours ahead. Warm over low heat, stirring often. Transfer to bowl. Serve.

IRISH CARROT & PARSNIP MASH

Steps:

• Boil the carrots in a little lightly salted water with a pinch of sugar in it, until soft and drain.
• Boil the parsnips separately in lightly salted water until soft and drain.
• Marsh or puree them together.
• Add the butter (less or more as you wish).
• Season and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve.

TRIO OF MASHED ROOTS (PARSNIP, TURNIP AND CARROT)

Steps:

• Place carrots, parsnips, and turnips into a pot and cover with cold, lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until a fork easily breaks apart the vegetables, about 25 minutes; drain. Return vegetables to the pot.
• Mix butter, cream, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper into vegetables; roughly mash together with a potato masher until vegetables are broken down but individual colors are still visible.

JAZZED-UP PARSNIP MASH

Steps:

• Cut the parsnips into large, fairly evensized chunks: the skinny end will make one chunk, then either halve or quarter the bulky part lengthways, remove the core, and cut into similar-sized pieces.
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, tip in the parsnips and cook briskly for 10-15 minutes, half-covered, until tender but not slushy. Drain well, then return parsnips to the saucepan.
• Push the parsnips to one side and put the butter, spices and plenty of ground black pepper into the space. Return the saucepan to a very low heat and let the butter melt, the spices warm through and the parsnips continue to dry for a few minutes.
• Now add the milk and oil and mash the parsnips vigorously, until smooth. (They won't look as smooth as potato mash but a quick taste will tell you if there are any lumps left.) Adjust the seasoning, if necessary, and serve immediately.

CARROT, PARSNIP AND POTATO COLCANNON

Steps:

• Place potatoes, carrots and parsnips in a saucepan and cover by an inch with water. Add salt to taste, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cover partly. Simmer until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, return to pot and cover pot tightly. Leave to steam in covered pot for 5 minutes. Peel potatoes.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet and add leek. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add salt to taste and continue to cook, stirring, until very tender, 3 to 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
• Mash vegetables with a potato masher or in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, or put through a food mill. Combine butter and milk and heat until butter melts. Gradually add to purée, stirring or beating on low speed. Stir in leeks and mix until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put through the fine or medium blade of a food mill, or press through a medium-mesh strainer. Garnish if desired with dill or chervil. Serve hot.

DUBLIN VEGETABLES (MASHED CARROT AND PARSNIP)

Steps:

• Put the carrots and parsnips into a large saucepan, cover with water, put on the lid, bring to a boil, then simmer until all the vegetables are soft (20-30 minutes, depending on your vegetables and the size you have cut).
• Drain off all the water, and return the vegetables to the hot pan to evaporate off any excess moisture - you don't want the purée to be too wet.
• Add the butter, salt and pepper (to taste), then blitz with a hand blender until you have a purée (it's nice left lumpy, too).
• Serve hot, with extra butter, freshly ground black pepper and a little nutmeg (if liked) ground over the top.