I’ve been interested in making the parsnip fries I keep hearing so much about from Caitlin of Healthy Tipping Point. I mean, we’ve all the had the original potato fries and sweet potato fries are becoming pretty common as well, so what is new and hip on the fry front these days??? Parsnip fries, that’s what!
More about those in a minute…
However, I thought that I would be really clever and develop an even newer, even cooler fry that would put all other fries to shame! And so I made…..daikon fries!
OH…MY…GAD! These were easily one of the most disgusting things that I have ever had the misfortune of putting in my mouth! This is coming from someone who will try anything. Just don’t do it; I don’t think it was a factor of personal taste, I think these would be repugnant to nearly everyone.
So, with my epic daikon fry fail looming in the back of my mind, I decided that I must correct this with a tried and true fry that may not be new to everyone but was at least still new to me.
I took two parsnips and ran a peeler over them…
I then cut them into fry-sized sticks and tossed them with olive oil.
They were then placed on a non-stick baking sheet and sprinkled with salt.
I baked them at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until the edges were crispy and browned…
…and served them up alongside some ketchup to get the full fry effect.
It’s hard for me to explain how I felt about these. I would eat one and think “Mmmm, kinda sweet and earthy!” Then I would eat another one and think “Meh, these are weird,” and the two fries had tasted the same. Jeff and I ate all of them though, so I know I didn’t hate them. I think I just don’t like root vegetables that much.
If you’re planning on trying them for yourself, I’d suggest cutting out the core of the parsnip and discarding it as it was pretty tough and unpleasant to eat.
All in all, the parsnip fries were worlds better than my soggy, mushy, turnip and dirt flavored daikon fries, and they’re an interesting break from typical potato fries. If you know you love root vegetables, these might just be right up your alley.
Parsnip fries
Golden baked parsnip fries are an interesting alternative to everyday potato fries.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 parsnips
- olive oil and salt to coat
Cooking Directions
- Peel, core, and slice parsnips into sticks.
- Toss in olive oil.
- Place on a non-stick baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
I’ve made parsnip fries before and felt the same way that you did. While I didn’t hate them, I definitely did not add it to my must make again file.
Lee recently posted..Restaurant Overkill
I am new to parsnips. I recently got a beaaauutiful bag of them from my CSA. Since then I’ve been roasting them alongside other veggies and adding to soup. I find the flavor alarmingly sharp, and can’t imagine why anyone would love them. Even still, chopped up into small bits next to other more loved veggies on the roasting pan will do until they are gone. Too bad about that daikon, I was excited when I first saw that until I heard it was terrible. I have like a massive 15″ long daikon from my CSA too. Ugh, what to do with that??
Sarah S. recently posted..Vegan MoFo 7- Amazing Homemade Vegan Bacon- soy-free! easy! freezer friendly! affordable!
Lol, good idea to just chop them up smaller, I’m pretty sure I could handle them in smaller doses. I was surprised and disappointed that the daikon fries were so gross, I love daikon! It is really at it’s best simmered in a flavorful liquid until tender all the way through. It is so good in a soup when it has soaked up some of the broth, it still tastes earthy and sweet but is also just bursting with other flavors from the cooking liquid. If you really want it to be a star on its own though, try steaming big discs of it and then topping with something that can cut through the intense root vegetable flavor, like miso.
Wow, awesome! I was scared of this daikon, now I’m excited to try it. Soup it is! That sounds like a flavor I can handle. Someone wrote that it is like water chestnuts, and can be subbed for them in recipes, and that gave me serious reservations about trying it. I have very few veggies that I consider intolerable, and water chestnuts are #1.
Sarah S. recently posted..Vegan MoFo 7- Amazing Homemade Vegan Bacon- soy-free! easy! freezer friendly! affordable!
I also can’t stand water chestnuts. I’m not sure why someone would compare the two, I guess the texture is similar when raw but you shouldn’t have a problem with it cooked.
Hehe, sounds like we both had food fails this week. Green juice for me, and daikon (and, to an extent, parsnip) for you. I can empathize!
Amber Shea @Almost Vegan recently posted..Sunday eats at 105degrees
Ok, so I saw Dr.Oz mention he put raw daikon in salads. Well I was not digging it at all. I do eat it in Asian soups and also make the Vietnamese pickled daikons and carrots that go in my yummy Vietnamese subs. Bummer about the fries:(
Yeah, I should have known better though. They’re such a watery vegetable, they just never really crisp up. Daikon pickles sound excellent though, I’ll have to give those a shot.