Kate's Global Kitchen Recipe: Parsnip Strips in Comino Butter

Parsnip Strips in Comino Butter

Serves 4

Green Meter

Green Goodness: fast, fuel-efficient alternative to roasting, steaming or boiling; water-free
Prep/Cooking Times: 5 minutes prep +5 minutes active cooking
Prime Season: fall, winter
Conveniences: flexible amount; quick 'n' easy; 4 ingredients; adaptable to other vegetables

A touch of butter and the warm scent of cumin enhance the sweet, nutty flavor of parsnips. Parsnips, like many root vegetables, can take some time to cook, but shaving them paper thin with a low-tech vegetable peeler speeds cooking and creates more surface area to sweeten and caramelize naturally. The parsnips can be prepared an hour in advance, too. Barely cook them, then turn off the heat. Right before serving, reheat until cooked through. Because the sugars in the parsnips slowly brown in the cooling and reheating process, they end up with even more richly browned edges.

4-5 medium parsnips
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the tough outer layer of the parsnips and discard (compost, or freeze with other trimmings for stock). Shred the parsnips into long, paper-thin strips. (If the core is woody, discard it with the scraps.)

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter, then add the cumin. Cook 1 minute. Stir in the parsnip strips and salt, coating well in the butter. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the parsnips soften and become tender. Serve warm, or see the headnotes for reheating.