Favourite Recipe Friday - Parsnip & Celeriac Bake

My mother in law got me into this one but as I am the only one in the house that likes parsnip and celeriac I have to freeze some of it!

She found it in the BBC Good Food magazine a few years ago and has been making it for Christmas and Sunday lunches ever since.

It really is a lovely side and a bit different to roast parsnips, I have nothing against the humble roast parsnip I just never manage to get the timing right and they are either burnt or uncooked!

Ingredients:

• 600g parsnips , peeled and cubed
• 1kg celeriac , peeled and cubed
• 25g butter
• 4 tablespoon double cream
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves 

For the topping:

• 50g fresh coarse breadcrumbs
• 5 tablespoon Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), coarsely grated
• handful of flaked almonds(if you don't have these in then leave out it doesn't make a difference)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

Method:

1. Cook the parsnips in a pan of boiling salted water for 2 mins, then tip in the celeriac and boil together for 8 mins. Drain well, then mash with butter and cream. Season, then add a grating of nutmeg, stir in the sage and spoon into a buttered ovenproof dish. Make up to this stage 1 day ahead or freeze for one month. Defrost in fridge overnight.

2. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan, almonds and oil together. Season, scatter over the mash, then bake for 35-40 mins from cold, 25-30 mins if not, until topping is crisp and golden.

Simple and easy to make and it really does taste lovely!