Parsnips and potatoes pureed with a ton of dairy fat.
Haute cuisine circa 1998
Throughout our lives, there are moments we all remember when we were introduced to something new – something eye-opening. I remember one such moment from a visit to Cafe Boulud in NYC in the late ’90’s. I was maybe 18 at the time and just starting to realize that I loved food and everything about it. The two things I remember most about this meal were the super attentive waitstaff (mostly the table crumbing device) and the trio of pureed vegetables.
The dish was highly recommended by our waiter. Pureed carrots, parsnips and…oh, let’s be honest, I have no clue what the other puree was because of the other two. The carrots were memorable for their vibrant color and the parsnips for their wonderful taste. I had never had a parsnip before and as a normal, midwestern 17 year old, I was wary. I was so unbelievably surprised. A little sweet, a bit gingery and silky smooth. We’ve all grown up with mashed potatoes, what took us so long to experiment with other vegetables?
While this is no longer innovative cuisine, pureed parsnips are still tasty. I served it for Easter dinner with a grilled pork tenderloin and shredded brussels sprouts. Next time, I might try roasting them first.
Straight from epicurious. I halved the recipe cause there’s just two of us and there were tons of leftovers.
Santogold (Santigold)
Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games Trilogy)
Ooh – I need to play with parsnips since its an ingredient I normally don’t use. This looks delicious, light and fluffy!