Favorite Irish Vegetables | Irish American Mom

Carrot And Parsnip Mash

November 13, 2014 by Irish American Mom 23 Comments

Mashed carrots and parsnips were a frequent dinnertime side in our house when I was a little girl. And let me confess, I hated the mixture.

But no matter how much I begged my Mom to spare me this weekly “treat”, these root vegetables regularly appeared alongside my roast chicken and potatoes.

“Just one bite!” I can still hear her instructions. Dutifully, I let a miniscule amount pass my lips, before grimacing in disgust. But believe it or not, her persistence paid off. Today I love this earthy veggie combination.

Most recipes recommend a vegetable pureé when pairing carrots and parsnips, but in Ireland the texture is seldom silky smooth, with a slightly lumpy mash preferred. I’m really doing a bad job of making these veggies sound appetizing. By now, you probably have visions of me being force fed “lumpy” mash.

But honestly, this combo is truly satisfying and is wonderful alongside roast turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or to set off a Sunday roast beef.

So how about a tutorial on how to cook this popular side dish – Irish carrot and parsnip mash.

Ingredients

3 large carrots
2 medium parsnips
2 oz butter
2 tablespoons cream
salt and white pepper to season

Irish parsnip and carrot mash doesn’t have any fancy onion or garlic flavors added. It’s simply the two veggies combined with butter, cream, salt and pepper.

I use white pepper for this recipe since that’s what my mom always used. I only discovered black pepper when I came to America. So, I stick to white pepper and, truth be told, I don’t like black speckles in the middle of this lightly orange colored mash.

Carrots are harder than parsnips and take longer to cook. To make sure your parsnips don’t go mushy while you wait for your carrots to tenderize you have a few options.

First, you can just chop the carrots into smaller pieces than the parsnips, and boil the vegetables together in the same pot for the same amount of time.
Or you can give the carrots a head start before adding the parsnips. If boiling the vegetables a 7 minute lead time is good, but if steaming, the carrots need at least 10 minutes extra cooking.
Or you can do what my mom always did, and cook the parsnips and carrots in two separate saucepans, and only combine them when they are tender, drained and ready to mash.

I find option 1 difficult, since I can never accurately estimate the right size for each vegetable.

Since I don’t like cleaning too many saucepans, I usually go for option 2 and give my carrots a little head start on the parsnips.

I also like to steam the veggies, so I don’t risk burning my fingers when adding parsnips to simmering water.

So steam the carrots for about 10 minutes, then add the parsnips and steam them both for about 20 more minutes until they are fork tender.

Drain the vegetables and return them to the bottom pan. Mash them together using a potato masher.

Add the butter and cream and mash together a little more.

Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Transfer into a serving dish and garnish with a nice knob of butter.

Feel free to add a little green with some parsley if you like. You’ll have all the colors of the Irish flag, green, white and orange. I never saw fancy parsley on my carrot and parsnip mash as a child, so I just stuck to a nice piece of melting butter to garnish this dish for its photo shoot.

Hope you all enjoy this ever so Irish vegetable side dish. Here’s the printable recipe:

Carrot And Parsnip Mash

Print recipe

Serves	4-6
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	35 minutes
Total time	45 minutes
Meal type	Side Dish
Misc	Serve Hot
Occasion	Christmas, Thanksgiving

Ingredients

3 Large carrots
2 Medium parsnips
2oz butter
2 tablespoons cream
salt and white pepper to season

Directions

Step 1	Wash and peel the carrots and parsnips. Cut evenly in 1/2 inch slices.
Step 2	Place the carrots in a steamer, add water to the pan base. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 3	Add the parsnips to the carrots in the steamer. Simmer for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Step 4	Drain the vegetables. Return them to the pot. Add the butter and cream and mash the vegetables together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 5	Serve warm and garnish with butter and parsley if desired.

Slán agus beannacht!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Parsnip and Apple Soup

October 12, 2014 by Irish American Mom 7 Comments

Parsnips and apples, with a hint of curry, compliment each other perfectly in this creamy soup.

The pairing of parsnips with apples intensifies their sweetness, with an added underlying warmth from the curry powder, making this soup truly satisfying.

I love curry flavor, like many Irish people. A teaspoon of mild curry powder, a hint of ginger and black pepper create a mildly spicy flavor level, but rest assured, this isn’t an overly hot soup, merely one that tantalizes the taste buds.

Heavy rain and blustery winds are always a reminder the season for hats, scarves and gloves is just around the corner. But as the colder days of winter beckon, there’s always comfort to be found in the kitchen.

The right soup is perfect comfort food. There is something reassuring about holding a mug of warm soup, blowing gently to cool it before it works its magic, warming the heart.

Parsnip and apple soup is smooth and creamy, and for me is certainly one of the best comforting soups in my recipe box.

Parsnips appear to be far less popular in America than they are in Ireland. They are a staple on most Irish dinner menus, and I remember eating them at least once a week when I was a kid in Ireland.

And so, I decided why not make a parsnip soup…. or for some crazy reason, my brain keeps saying parsnip snoup.

Anyway, here’s my recipe …..

Ingredients:

2 oz butter
2 shallots
3 large parsnips
1 medium apple (Granny Smith or a cooking apple if you’re in Ireland)
1 medium potato (or 2 small potatoes)
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
salt and plenty pepper to season

Directions:

This is a very simple soup. Start by peeling and chopping the shallots into slices. Peel and dice the potatoes and parsnips into 1 inch pieces.

The first step involves sweating the vegetables. If you need to learn more about the technique of sweating vegetables, check out my post on soup making tips.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chopped shallots, parsnips and potato.

I use shallots rather than an onion, since their flavor is a little milder, but if you can’t get your hands on shallots, one onion will work just fine.

For this soup in particular I like to add the spices before sweating the vegetables. This helps deepen the spicy flavors in the finished soup.

So, stir in the curry powder and ginger and mix the vegetables so they are completely coated in the spices.

Cover the pan and sweat the vegetables over medium heat for 10 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent sticking, but avoid lifting the lid and allowing the trapped steam escape.

Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

I like to add a good dash of pepper to this soup, but seasoning is a very personal step in any recipe. For my palate, pepper seems to compliment the flavor of the parsnips.

Next, add the chopped apple and simmer the soup for a further 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly.

I love how the apple pieces just bob and bounce on the surface of the soup.

Purée the soup until the texture is completely smooth using an immersion blender or in batches using a liquidizer or blender.

Add the cream to the soup and mix through. Reheat gently, without boiling, before serving.

And there, you have it – a simple soup made with a favorite Irish vegetable. I love to serve this soup with curried parsnip chips as a garnish – they’re simply delicious.

Here’s my printable recipe:

Parsnip and Apple Soup

Print recipe

Serves	6
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	50 minutes
Total time	1 hours, 10 minutes
Meal type	Soup

Parsnips and apples, with a hint of curry, compliment each other perfectly in this creamy soup. The pairing of parsnips with apples intensifies their sweetness, with an added underlying warmth from the curry powder, making this soup truly satisfying.

Ingredients

2oz butter
2 shallots
3 parsnips
1 apple (Granny Smith or a cooking apple)
1 potato (1 medium or 2 small)
1 teaspoon curry powder (add extra for increased spiciness)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
salt and pepper to season

Directions

Step 1	Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chopped shallots, parsnips and potato.
Step 2	Stir in the curry powder and ground ginger. Cover the pan and sweat the vegetables over medium heat for 10 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent sticking, but avoid lifting the lid and allowing the trapped steam escape.
Step 3	Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 4	Add the chopped apple and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
Step 5	Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly. Purée until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches using a liquidizer or blender.
Step 6	Add the cream to the soup and mix through. Reheat gently, without boiling, before serving.

Wishing you all happy soup making during these chilly days of fall and winter.

Check out my complete recipe list here.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

P.S. My Irish shamrock soup bowl was made by Colm De Ris, an Irish potter.

How To Roast Potatoes Irish Or English Style

November 15, 2012 by Irish American Mom 47 Comments

Ultra-crispy roast potatoes with soft, creamy insides, compliment a turkey dinner perfectly. Mashed potato may be the spud of choice in America for Thanksgiving, but turkey always makes my Irish taste buds long for roast potatoes.

Today’s post is dedicated to the spud and the cooking method of choice for Irish Sunday dinners. I’ll show you my little tricks of the kitchen trade, to ensure your roasties turn out perfectly crispy every time. And if you prefer a softer outer crust, we’ll discover how to achieve this too.

1. Oven Temperature:

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. A hot oven is needed to create that golden outer crust.

Many people roast potatoes by tossing them into the pan alongside their meat. This way the potatoes will soften and cook, but will never develop a tantalizing, golden appeal. The problem is with the oven temperature. Meat is usually cooked at temperatures between 300 degrees and 350 degrees. Fine for meat, but much too low for crisping.

In addition, the steam from the meat cooks the potatoes, so it is impossible to create the dry heat required for lovely roasties. The solution is two ovens, but if like me you only have one, just cook the meat first and then let it sit while the potatoes do their thing.

2. Potato Size:

The next big decision is choosing your potatoes. I like russet potatoes, since they cook up a little “flourier” on the inside, and crisp up nicely on the outside. If you prefer a softer roastie then pick a Yukon Gold variety.

You can roast potatoes of any size, but I like a medium potato. For faster cooking you can halve them, quarter them, or cut them into bite-size pieces. I prefer a substantial potato on my plate.

Picking similar size potatoes is very important if you plan on not cutting them.

3. Par-Boiling:

Next peel the potatoes and place them in a large saucepan. Cover them with cold water, season them with salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

This par-boiling step is key to creating the crispy outer crust. So, even you are tempted, never skip it.

4. Hot Oil:

While the potatoes are boiling pour about 1/3 of a cup of oil into a roasting pan, then place it in the pre-heated oven. You can use vegetable, canola, or olive oil, or if you have duck or goose fat, even better.

This hot oil step will seal the outer potato layer.

5. Roughing Up Those Spuds:

While the oil is heating strain your potatoes. Feel free to use a colander, but I do it the Irish way, which includes a free steam facial. My mother always said:

“Why bother dirtying another thing, when you can strain away with the pot and its lid.”

I just take a dish towel, spread it across the pot lid which is pulled away from the lip by a 1/4 inch. Then holding on tightly to the handles I pour the water down the sink. Be sure to keep that lid in place or you will end up with all your spuds in the bottom of the sink.

Now comes another little secret for crisping your praties. Put the lid back on the pot and give them a good, old shake. Roughing up the outer surface helps the hot oil stick and do its trick.

Take the lid off the pot and let the par-boiled potatoes sit for a few minutes to steam dry.

If you strained them in a colander, just toss them around a bit, right in the colander.

6. Oil Basting:

Next remove the pan of hot oil from the oven and add the potatoes. You should hear a little sizzle. Turn them around in the oil to fully coat all the surface area of the potatoes.

I use a fairly big roasting pan. You need to space them apart so they are not touching. If you overcrowd the pan the potatoes will steam cook as their inner juices vaporize in the hot oven.

Feel free to season them with salt and pepper at this stage. I don’t bother since I already added some to the water for par-boiling, and I like to keep sodium in our diet as low as possible.

Pop them in the oven. After 15 minutes, take them out and give them a turn. Use a metal spoon to pour the hot oil over them. See how they are turning brown in this picture.

I turn them again in another 15 minutes.

7. Cooking Time:

After 45 to 60 minutes you should have delicious, crispy spuds. Watch them closely towards the end so they do not burn.

I included a 15-minute window for final cooking time. How long is dependent upon the size of your potatoes. Bite size roasties may cook in less than 30 minutes.

And so, there ya go. If you follow these steps you will produce perfect, traditional Irish or English roasties every time.

My cooking method is for a standard plainroast potato, but the sky is the limit on different seasonings you can add. Garlic, onion powder, paprika, thyme, rosemary all add an extra depth of flavor. Just sprinkle the seasonings of your choice on your potatoes when they are in the roasting pan waiting to hit that hot oven.

Happy potato roasting to all!

Here is the printable recipe:

Roast Potatoes Irish Or English Style

Print recipe

Serves	4
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	50 minutes
Total time	1 hour
Meal type	Side Dish
Misc	Serve Hot
Region	British

Ultra-crispy roast potatoes with soft, creamy insides, compliment a roast dinner perfectly.

Ingredients

8 Medium russet potatoes
1/3 cup vegetable oil or goose fat
1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Step 1	Peel the potatoes. Leave whole, or cut in half or quarters depending upon the roast potato size desired.
Step 2	Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3	Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add a pinch or two of salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, then simmer for five minutes.
Step 4	Drain the potatoes. Toss in the saucepan or colander to roughen their outer surfaces. Let sit for a few minutes to steam dry.
Step 5	Pour the oil into a large roasting pan and heat in the oven for a few minutes.
Step 6	Place the potatoes into the hot oil, and turn them gently to evenly coat the surface with oil. Do not place the potatoes too close together.
Step 7	Season with salt and pepper as desired. Roast in the oven for 30 to 60 minutes depending upon the size of the potato pieces. Turn the potatoes after 15 and 30 minutes of cooking.
Step 8	Potatoes are cooked when the outer surface has turned golden and crispy. Serve hot with roast poultry or meat.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

How To Cook Rutabaga Or Turnip Irish Style

November 14, 2012 by Irish American Mom 265 Comments

Rutabaga is a very popular vegetable in Ireland, but the name is never used by the Irish to describe this favorite side for a chicken roast, ham or bacon dinner.

The Irish call this root vegetable a turnip. The English call it a swede, and in Scotland it is often called a neep.

The term rutabaga comes from the Swedish word “rotabagge”. It is a bulbous root vegetable with a purple hued outer skin covering a dense inner yellow core.

Practically every time I buy a rutabaga at the grocery store, the check-out guy or gal holds it up with a quizzical expression.

“What’s this called,” comes the inevitable question.

I think very few Americans buy rutabagas, probably because they simply don’t know how to cook them. Today I will solve that problem with a short tutorial on how to peel and cut a rutabaga before boiling it – the tried and trusted cooking method of most Irish cooks.

My thoughts turn to rutabagas with Thanksgiving approaching. I know it is not a traditional vegetable for Americans to serve, but a turnip tale links it to this holiday for me.

When I was close to seven months pregnant with my triplets, my aunt visited for Thanksgiving. She was born in Ireland, but has lived in America for over fifty years. She suggested we have Irish mashed turnips with our turkey that year, since serving rutabaga at Thanksgiving had become a personal tradition for her over the years.

Despite resembling a moving mountain at this point in my pregnancy, I dutifully waddled to the grocery store, plonked my colossal self into a motorized cart, and sped through the vegetable aisles, never dreaming there might be a shortage of rutabagas. Lo and behold there wasn’t a single rutabaga to be had.

“We always run out of rutabagas at Thanksgiving,” the produce manager explained. “It’s the one time of year they are in demand.”

I returned home shocked and empty-handed.

But never fear!

Irish American Dad fancied a scoop of mashed turnip instead of an overly-sweet, sweet potato casserole that year. He rose to the challenge, searching high and low, from grocery store to fresh fruit market, along the turnip trail.

He did not fail us. He found one hiding beneath a head of cabbage in a Meijers store far, far away. And so that year we gave thanks, for one man’s perseverance in his quest to deliver a Thanksgiving rutabaga.

So enough of my waffling, let’s get down to cooking this tough little root.

The most difficult and dangerous part of this process is cutting up the rutabaga. When picking one in the grocery store, I try to find one with a flat bottom end. It makes it much easier to balance to make that first cut through the hard inner core.

Place the root on a cutting board, balanced on its flattest end. Cut through the middle separating it into two equal halves.

Turn each half onto its flat side, then cut it into 1/2 inch thick semi-circles. Throw away the first and last piece which are covered in thicker skin.

Use a paring knife to remove the outer skin. This method is much easier than trying to peel a rutabaga with a potato peeler – really a mission impossible.

Next cut each piece into one inch cubes. Each semi-circle usually yields nine cubes by cutting 3 vertical slices and then three more perpendicular slices.

Add the diced rutabaga to a medium saucepan and cover it with cold water. Some of the pieces will float in the water making it impossible to cover the top by an inch. Season with salt at this point.

Make sure you add plenty of water though. If the pot boils dry the smell of burnt rutabaga is horrible. Believe me – I know from experience.

Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes until the rutabaga is fork tender. It takes quite a long time to boil this tough little vegetable.

Drain the boiling water once the rutabaga is cooked. Return it to the pot. Use a potato masher to break it up. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper. I use white pepper since I don’t like black flecks through my turnip. Mash it well together to make sure the melted butter is thoroughly mixed through.

Sour cream can be used instead of butter. Its flavor compliments the sweet yet tangy taste of the rutabagas. Some people like puree the rutabaga in a food processor, but I prefer to leave a little bit of texture by using a potato masher.

Served hot, as a side for roast turkey dinner, mashed rutabagas are simply delicious.

I love two nice, big mounds of rutabaga mash on my plate. Once I dined at a fancy restaurant in New Jersey. I grew excited when I saw a pork dish on the menu with a side of rutabaga puree. Oh how disappointed I was when all I got was a yellow squiggle of rutabaga on my plate. It didn’t fill a hole in my tooth.

So heap those rutabagas onto your plate. Not only do they taste great, they’re good for you too.

Happy Thanksgiving cooking to all.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Carrot And Parsnip Mash

Ingredients

Carrot And Parsnip Mash

Ingredients

Directions

Slán agus beannacht!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Parsnip and Apple Soup

Ingredients:

Directions:

Parsnip and Apple Soup

Ingredients

Directions

Check out my complete recipe list here.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

How To Roast Potatoes Irish Or English Style

1. Oven Temperature:

2. Potato Size:

3. Par-Boiling:

4. Hot Oil:

5. Roughing Up Those Spuds:

6. Oil Basting:

7. Cooking Time:

Roast Potatoes Irish Or English Style

Ingredients

Optional

Directions

How To Cook Rutabaga Or Turnip Irish Style

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