Parsnip fritters

[desperance]

Really, nothing could be simpler.

Peel your parsnips, cut them into chunks and boil same 'til done: on the order of twenty minutes, tho' it might be less.

Add salt and pepper, and mash same. Then stir in a finely chopped onion, a tablespoon of flour and an egg. Beat all together.

With floury hands, mould the puree into flattish cakes (it will be sticky: more flour! more flour!) and fry in hot lard (or oil, but I think it's crispier in lard) until crispy on one side; turn over, and crisp on the other.

I ate these last night with oxtail stew, and they were yummy. You could add spices, other vegetables, herbs. Whatever goes well with that sweet rootiness of parsnip.

Comments

[euphoricstimuli.livejournal.com]

I've tried that before & I always fall apart on the frying side (same problem with bubble & squeak patties too.) Even if I have the heat on really really low they still stick to the bottom & all the nice crispieness ends up on the bottom of the pan. I'm not sure whether its me, or the electric hobs being a pain as usual.

btw there is a big comunity on lj called cooking. You'd be very good on it.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

My guess? It's your pans. You either need a good non-stick, or else a really well-seasoned cast iron frying pan. Anything less, the mixture is sticky and will stick.

At the moment, I'm doing belt-and-braces: I have a smart non-stick that I season regularly. Which being true, I actually fry these on a high heat, which I would also recommend as being more inclined to anti-stick. Get the fat or oil really hot first, before you drop your patty in; then let it sit for a couple of minutes untouched, let it crisp up before you give it a little nudge to loosen it. That's technique, but I would still be inclined to look at your pans first.

(All the above officious advice comes to you with full acknowledgement of the fact that I know nothing about frying on electric hobs...)