Niamh is a chef based in Co. Clare.

Home being Inishbofin Island we have many Christmas traditions one of my favourites is excitedly heading west Christmas Eve to take the evening ferry. After working so hard leading up to Christmas in the various restaurants over the years, heading to the island is my ultimate retreat. Boarding the ferry with generally cold winds and rain, then seeing the crew members have set up a makeshift hot whiskey and mince pies station on the boat for the short 30min journey. Everyone holding on to the rafters with one hand and their hot whiskeys in the other. The ultimate welcome home. At that moment you know how the rest of Christmas is going to play out on Bofin. There’s nothing like really great fresh seasonal parsnips cooked like this. We like to grow our own or else we get them from our neighbours Moy Hill Farm.

This recipe is very easy but still elevates the parsnips as they deserve. It’s a real crowd pleaser and a bit different to the traditional Christmas vegetable sides.

Serves 4 – 6 as a side

Ingredients:
600-700g of parsnips
(roughly 5 big ones)
100g grated Parmesan
1 egg
Splash of milk
1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
A little olive oil

Method:
1. Peel, top and tail the parsnips and cut into wedges using the full
length of the parsnip making sure the core is evenly cut through on
each wedge, blanch the parsnips in salted boiling water until al dente
(Can be done up to 1 day in advance).
2. Drain the parsnips and spread them out on a clean tea towel this will make sure that the parsnips are dry and will crisp up nicely. Allow
them to cool just enough to handle.
3. Prep the coating station– In one bowl or container, whisk the egg
with a splash of milk, some salt and pepper.
4. Combine panko breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper in a container with a
lid or Ziploc bag.
5. Preheat the oven to 190C degrees.
6. Dip the parsnips into the egg mixture and then toss into panko
mixture making sure each piece is covered evenly.
7. Brush sheet pan with some oil and spread parsnips out onto baking
tray making sure not to crowd them. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until
they are golden brown. Serve as a side dish on any occasion