Parsnip is often seen as a winter vegetable, but in reality its season starts in May. It gets sweeter as the weather cools, but for this dish we want the parsnip when it is not too sweet. This dish really is super simple, but very tasty.
This recipe is loosely based on a recipe by Alain Passard, a culinary hero. In the early 1970’s he started his career working in classic French restaurants. In 1980 he became a head chef and at age 26, he already held 2 Michelin stars. In 1986 he bought his former teacher’s restaurant and renamed it l’Arpège. In 1996 he gained his 3rd Michelin star. All very nice, but things were just starting to get interesting…
"The parsnip gets sweeter as the weather cools, but for this dish we want the parsnip when it is not too sweet."
In 2001 he was fed up with the clichés of the classic French kitchen which always revolves around meat, game and fish. He decided to cook vegetarian; a novelty in French gastronomy! He didn’t keep up strict vegetarian principles, though. Animal proteins are being served in his restaurant, but the emphasis is mostly on vegetables, herbs and fruits. Many of those vegetables are grown in his own garden.
In this recipe we are going to use canned tuna. That doesn’t sound very sustainable, but in these cans there is no real tuna but bonito, a species of mackerel. They are not indigenous to the Netherlands - it’s a tropical fish - but according to IUCN they are not under threat.
"Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on the puree, then sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of it and finish off with a few knobs of butter."
Ingredients
- 1 kg parsnip
- 1/2 l whole milk
- 1 can of tuna in oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 100 g Gruyère, grated
- salted butter
- bread crumbs
"Put the dish in a hot oven (200 C / 400 F) or place it under a grill until the dish has a nicely coloured crust."
Method
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the parsnip.
- Cut it in quarters lengthwise, and remove the tough core.
- Cut the parsnip in pieces of even size.
- Thinly slice the garlic.
- Combine the parsnip, garlic and bay leaves with the milk in a pan.
- Boil for about 10 minutes until the parsnip is cooked through. You can check this by piercing it with the tip of a sharp knife, like checking potatoes.
- Discard the bay leaves. Drain the parsnip pieces, and mix in a blender until smooth. Tip in 30 grams of the grated cheese.
- Tip it in a buttered oven dish.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on the puree, then sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of it and finish off with a few knobs of butter.
- Put the dish in a hot oven (200 C / 400 F) or place it under a grill until the dish has a nicely coloured crust - this may take about 25 minutes.
Serve it with a simple green salad, lemon and mustard dressing.
Ralph Dahlhaus is executive chef at the National Maritime Museum. These recipes allow you to follow the “Dutch Cuisine” principles: tasty, sustainable, varied, honest and seasonal.