Name: Parsnip Confit With Pickled Currants
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 1/2 lb. parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, woody core removed if large; 2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise; 1 (4") piece ginger, scrubbed, sliced lengthwise into 1/8"-thick planks; 3 large sprigs rosemary, divided, plus 1 Tbsp. rosemary leaves for serving; 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt; 3 cups extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 cup dried currants; 1/4 cup sugar; 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar; 2 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper

Welcome to root vegetables reinvented. Sturdy parsnips soften in a warm bath of olive oil, then get seared and bejeweled with pickled currants. It’s hard to know if a parsnip will have a woody core, but generally speaking, small ones are tender throughout. Worst case scenario? Trim the tough centers before cooking.

Ingredients

8 servings

2 1/2 lb. parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, woody core removed if large

2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise

1 (4") piece ginger, scrubbed, sliced lengthwise into 1/8"-thick planks

3 large sprigs rosemary, divided, plus 1 Tbsp. rosemary leaves for serving

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt

3 cups extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup dried currants

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine parsnips, garlic, ginger, 2 rosemary sprigs, and 1 Tbsp. salt in a rectangular 3-qt. baking dish; turn garlic cut side down. Pour oil over and roast 35 minutes. Remove from oven; turn parsnips over. Return to oven and roast until a knife easily slides through flesh, 30–40 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Step 2
Meanwhile, bring currants, sugar, 1/2 cup vinegar, remaining 1 tsp. salt, remaining rosemary sprig, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until reduced by three-quarters. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in Aleppo-style pepper, 1 Tbsp. parsnip confit oil, and remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar.
Step 3
Remove parsnips from oil, letting excess drip back into baking dish, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Pluck out garlic and set aside for serving. Strain oil through a fine-mesh sieve into an airtight container; discard aromatics. Cover and reserve oil for another use.
Step 4
Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Working in batches, arrange parsnips in skillet in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and charred in spots, about 4 minutes per batch. (Alternatively, you can broil them, turning halfway through, 10–12 minutes.) Transfer to a platter and spoon currant sauce over. Top with reserved garlic and rosemary leaves.
Do Ahead
Step 5
Parnsips can be cooked in oil 1 week ahead. Let cool completely; cover and chill. Reheat in oil in a 300°F oven before browning. Currants can be pickled 1 week ahead; cover and chill.

Leave a Review

Reviews (7)

The pickled currants, a kind of chutney, were fine. For the parsnips, you would be better off tossing them with oil, salt, & pepper, and roasting them for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees. The took a lot of time and olive oil for minimal payoff. The garlic wasn't close to tender when the parsnips were fully cooked.
- Anonymous
- St. Paul
- 5/7/2020
This is a great recipe, well worth the large amount of oil and time to prep each component. The only alteration I made was to arrange the parsnips tightly into a loaf pan - it used slightly less olive oil that way. This is such to be an elegant hit to your holiday table.
- mbranco
- Toronto, ON
- 12/30/2019
Update on my initial post below - I did remove the parsnips from the oil for the make ahead process. Charred the parsnips and composed just prior to serving. These were hands down the most popular dish on the Thanksgiving table. Absolutely delicious - very unique combinations of flavors and textures. Don't omit the Aleppo pepper. It truly made the dish. Thanks Epicurious!
- jlcrn
- Scottsdale, AZ
- 11/29/2019
So far these look and smell delicious. But a question related to making ahead. Do you remove the parsnips from the oil and refrigerate or do you leave them in the oil and refrigerate with the oil? These are cooling on the counter as I await a response. Thanks!
- jlcrn
- Scottsdale, AZ
- 11/23/2019
Absolutely fantastic! Made the pickled currants ahead, and par-cooked the parnsnips in advance. Sauteed the parsnips to finish at the last minute.
- kweatherby
- Victoria, BC, Canada
- 2/10/2019
This was as good as it sounds/looks, which to me, is pretty darn good. It was one of my favorite things at Thanksgiving this year. I cooked the parsnips and pickled the currants two days ahead, and left the searing til the night of. Worked out very well.
- forkknifespoon
- Cambridge, MA
- 11/23/2018
Parnsips for me have mostly been relegated to being an ingredient in chicken stock. They have broken out of the chorus to have a starring role in this recipe. Stellar mix of flavors and bonus "extras" of the strained olive oil, the roasted garlic, and pickled currants. I used a slightly smaller baking dish than called for, and poured olive to almost submerge, which meant that I didn't use the full amount called for. After straining I had about 1 cup leftover.
- lisafg1
- Burlingame, CA
- 11/20/2018