To Boil Parsnips
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash and scrape the parsnips.
If large, cut them in half or quarters lengthwise before boiling.
Boil and serve
Put them in salted, boiling water to cover.
Boil steadily for 1 to 1.5 hours, or longer if very large.
Serve plain or with white sauce.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Parsnips
- Are the whole vegetable being cooked, so their starch softens into a tender, edible texture.
The step that matters
Boil steadily until fully tender. Parsnips must cook long enough for the dense starchy core to soften all the way through. Stopping early leaves the centre firm and chalky, especially in large pieces, so test with a knife before draining.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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