Crispy Parsnip, Tunworth and Bacon Salad
A Seasonal Supper for November that is perfect for leftovers
Hello and welcome back to another Seasonal Supper where once a month I drop a dinner for 2 in your inbox that uses an ingredient at it’s very best. For November we are celebrating one of my absolute favourite vegetables - the humble parsnip. This pale white root looks pretty average but it is PACKED with flavour, especially at this time of year. Parsnips are sweet and slightly fragrant, but less intense than celeriac or swede. They roast up beautifully and are by far the thing I look forward to the most on my Christmas day plate and indeed any roast dinner. My advice with parsnips is treat them as you would a potato and you can’t go wrong.
A crispy parsnip is a particularly wonderful thing. When done right they are better than a roast potato in my humble opinion and a bit more interesting too. They will have a crunchy, slightly chewy shell encasing a sweet, tender, almost fondant centre. What’s not to love? I will often use them in salads or as a centre piece in a vegetarian dinner for example Crispy Parsnips with Romesco and Fried Eggs or on Crispy Parsnips with Braised Lentils and Salsa Verde. However for todays recipe I had something a bit more naughty in mind.
When thinking of a good way to use parsnips, my mind took me along the lines of those beautiful French salads from the Alps which are vehicles for crispy carbs, melty cheese, salty fats and bitter leaves. This is the kind of salad that really lends itself to dinners at this time of year. It is hearty, savoury and filling, but also bright and refreshing with a sharp dressing and crunchy fresh leaves. It’s also a great way to use up leftovers; any spare cooked veg would work, and the cheese can be whatever you have still sitting on your board. All in all, this dish is a wintry salad formula that I come back to time and again and I am so pleased to share this with you today. Plus it contains my method for getting shatteringly crisp roast parsnips ever time.