Serves: n/a
Approx cost: ~€1.30
Approx calories (for the whole batch): ~950
Approx preparation and cooking time: ~10 minutes preparation, ~30 minutes total cooking time
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #0B0B61;”]Hi there everyone, and welcome to a brand new week. Can you believe it’s already the end of January? The day after tomorrow and we’ll already be in February?! Wowzers, time sure does fly. I’ve got something yummy for you all today, as no doubt you saw by the title. I was going to post something else instead, but will do that on Thursday instead (that dish is a whole load of fun, and tasty as anything, so I hope you’ll look forward to seeing that!). For today though, I went to do the weekly shopping on Saturday, and what should I see, but parsnips! These little golden roots don’t seem to be that popular in France and I’ve had huge difficulties finding them in the past, along with swedes as well, but I saw them both and knew that I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by.
There’s a English company which makes “vegetable” chips. Delicious, crunchy alternatives to potato chips, made from beetroot, carrot and parsnip, and I absolutely adore them, but the problem is – they cost a fortune, at least compared to the cost of the raw ingredients. I was worried about the amount of oil which would end up being used, but I was delighted to see that once all was fried and done, I’d only used 100ml of oil, which works out to be around 830 calories. It sounds a lot, but when you consider that parsnips are pretty darn low in calories, it brings the whole batch of chips to less than 1000 calories. Compare that to the same quantity of potatoes, and the fact that potato chips seem to suck up oil like a 70-year old car and you’re looking at a significantly healthier snack.
I always preach this whenever I’m making something like this, but if you haven’t already – please… buy a mandoline. Seriously, go buy it now. It will be the best 30-odd bucks you spent for a kitchen gadget in a long time. You do ideally need something like that for a recipe like this. It’s exceptionally difficult to get the uniform, wafer-thinness using a knife, and it’ll make the difference between crispy, crunchy discs, and harder, perhaps-a-little-soft-in-the-middle rounds! On the subject of preparation – I know a fair few people who fear deep-frying. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be any more dangerous than any other activity in the kitchen. You just need to remember that you’re dealing with a pot of very, very hot oil and respect it. Prepare everything before-hand because you don’t want to be rummaging around for kitchen paper or slotted spoons once the cooking has begun, keep a fire-blanket on hand (I picked mine up for about €7 from IKEA. I’ve never had to use it, but I think it’s an invaluable item for the kitchen), and remember never to leave the pan unattended. For those who think that deep-frying leaves an obnoxious odour in the home – use an oil with a high smoke-point, like peanut oil, or one which is specially formulated for deep-frying. I can attest that the post-frying odours it leaves are minimal!
Anyway – before we move onto the recipe, it’s time to announce the winner of the latest giveaway. Please expand the dropdown box below for the winning number and name!
[learn_more caption=”Väsen Giveaway Winner”]
As per last time, we’ll select a random number, courtesy of random.org. Here we go…
49!
Once again it seems no-one has picked the exact number, so let’s have a look at people who picked a number “close” to 49… Well, no-one picked a number in the 40s, but someone did pick #50, and that person is…
Barb, from Profiteroles and Ponytails
Join me in congratulating Barb for winning, and for those who didn’t win – fret not. This certainly won’t be my last giveaway 🙂
Okey-doke – that’s me out for today. Enjoy the recipe, and your week!
Hand-cooked Parsnip Chips
[learn_more caption=”Video Recipe”]
Ingredients
- 2 – 3 large Parsnips
- 1 litre Sunflower Oil for frying
- Salt, for sprinkling on at the end
You’ll also need
- A Mandoline
Instructions
- Start off by trimming the ends from the parsnips and peeling them.
- Next, slice the parsnips using your mandoline, set to the thinnest setting. The final slices should be wafer-thin and translucent.
- Place the oil into a large, deep pan and place on the stove. Heat the oil – this will take a good few minutes – and test it periodically by dipping one of the slices of parsnip into the oil. If it starts to sizzle then the oil is ready. Fry the parsnip slices a large handful at a time. Be careful not to add too much to the pan – the oil will first “froth up” a fair amount when you add in the parsnips. If you add too many then it can spill over the edges onto the hot-plate which is a fire-risk.
- Stir the frying parsnips with a slotted spoon as they fry. The vigorous bubbling will continue until all the water has been fried out from the parsnip slices. Once the bubbling stops completely (including the weak bubbling) and it looks like the slices are just floating around in the pan doing nothing remove them from the oil using the spoon and set them onto absorbent kitchen paper to drain. Salt the chips if desired before devouring!
Now this is different. I’ve always loved roasted parsnips and haven’t found anyone in my family or circle of friends who share the same love for it. This is definitely interesting altho I’m not a great fan for deep frying. I’d read the other day about a microwave gadget called a potato chip maker. I wonder if I could use that for this … I haven’t seen the gadget on sale in the shops here. Perhaps I can order it online. Just thinking out loud. 🙂
Hi Ping – I’ve always loved parsnips too – I think the flavour is really fantastic! I think Kelly will be posting a recipe soon for oven baked parsnip chips – if you’re not so happy about deep frying then maybe her recipe will be more your style?!
Yeah, I read her comment and am all excited waiting for her baked chips. 😀
Foiled by Barb! Maybe she’ll share it with me! 🙂
We have a company in Canada that makes those veggie chips too, and they’re expensive too. I bought a small electric deep fryer in the US that takes less than 1litre of oil (most of them are huge and take 3-5 litres), and if I do use it, I usually do it just outside the back door so the frying odor stays outside. I really love parsnips too; what are swedes?
I use my mandolin just about every day!
Great little video, well done!
Thanks so much Eva – Swedes are, I think, what America/Canada calls rutabagas. I have to say I’m not a huge fan of them, but I think they go well in stews too!
I used to find making potato gratins so annoying. Now I breeze through the potatoes – mandolines rock! 🙂
It is so all about having the right tools, Charles; in the kitchen it means as much as in the workshop!
Charles, it’s very wise to substitute potato crisps with parsnip ones. They look delicious! (We also have vegetables crisps here and they are expensive). Thank you for the oil absorption calculation. I was always wondering how much oil is absorbed by deep-frying.
I regularly deep-fry (although I try not to do it too often) and I have never had a single accident. As you say, I use peanut oil and I always put the pan as far from me as I can (closer to the wall). With my ventilation system (not the most modern!) the smell is not that strong.
You are totally right about the mandolin. I have bought mine for about 5 euros, it’s the most basic model (nothing to do with the one you link to), but I use it all the time and I love it.
Congratulations, Barb!
I’m looking forward to your Thursday post!
Hi Sissi – I’ve never done the calculation with potatoes before, but I do know that they seem a LOT more greasy, and the oil level visibly drops each time you remove a batch. I was amazed that the whole frying process for these chips used only 100ml… I mean, it’s still oil, but normally when I think “deep-frying”, I just think “omg, grease” all the time!
I think you’ll appreciate my post on Thursday – it’s really fun and the making of it has made me realise all sorts of things I can do now! 🙂
Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course I’ll share with you Eva, since that is a message we are always trying to reinforce with our girls. Both ponytails are very excited about this cute little man. It prompted my oldest daughter Megan to ask a lot of questions: how do you know Charles; are you kind of like pen pals; what’s the name of his blog; what’s a Euro; what does currency mean; what can we send to him? We had a very nice discussion about it all. Thank you again Charles! Now about those parsnip snacks…..I have a mandolin and I love parsnips, so I see these in my future. Maybe I can arrange a deal to allow our new little “tomte” a visit at Auntie Eva’s if she’ll let me borrow that deep fryer that doesn’t use a lot of oil….
Hi Barb – thanks so much and congratulations 🙂 “Kind of like pen pals” – hehe, that’s cute 🙂
I’ll get it sent out sometime this week so it should be with you end of next week I think! I hope you’re able to give these a try – they’re really so delicious. So crispy and tasty 🙂
Charles! Too funny on the mutual parsnip love; next we’re going to start looking like each other ;). And the funny thing is, my follow-up post was going to be parsnip chips – you beat me to it! :). I think I may still do it though as I was planning oven baked. These looks so tasty, crispy – (more like real chips!;)). I adore the flavour of parsnips and feel a bit guilty for having neglected this root in the past. Congrats Barb! Cheers Charles.
Hehe, thanks Kelly – I’d love to see your oven baked chips, and there seem to be a few people here who’ve sworn off deep-frying so I think it would definitely be a popular recipe for them too!
Have a good one 🙂
Fabulous pictures Charles! I love the one of the bowl with the chips. I’ve never had a parsnip before, but I have no doubt that I would enjoy these. As for the oil…I’m slowly getting over my fear, but keep my fire extinguisher on hand just-in-case. Speaking of horrible oil stories…I guy I work with stepped into a pot of hot oil a few weeks ago. His wife had set it outside to be discarded and he unknowingly stepped right in it. He hasn’t been to work in weeks. Bad stuff. It makes me cringe just thinking about it.
On to happier things though – congrats to Barb! Woo hoo! 🙂 And you know I’m looking forward to your Thursday post.
Thanks so much Kristy – oh my God, what a horrible story! Knock on wood, but the worst things that have happened to me in the kitchen are a few cuts and burns. Nothing so horrific as stepping in a pot of hot oil – damn… 🙁
You know how I wrote “Be careful not to add too much to the pan – the oil will first “froth up” a fair amount when you add in the parsnips. If you add too many then it can spill over the edges onto the hot-plate which is a fire-risk.” – that was from first hand experience :p I chucked in way too many parsnips and a whole load of oil spilled over the edge. I was like “oh my God, this is it – this is when everything catches fire!”. Thankfully, nothing caught alight, though I probably looked a bit stupid, holding a pan of hot oil, dripping all over the edges, out of the balcony door, while trying to mop up the overflow from the stove-top at the same time :p
Charles, I so agree…where has the month gone!! It was just the holidays!! I feel that same way, time goes by too quickly!! Now I do have a mandoline and I do fear deep frying….so what’s a girl to do with this recipe!! Got it, get over my fear of deep frying and self hosting!!
Hi Linda – if you give it a try and just remember some golden rules – most importantly, never to leave it unwatched – you’ll find the process very rewarding, and not at all scary. Think of it as you would a pan of boiling water 🙂 Hope you can try them, they’re really good!
What a nice idea to make chips out of parsnips! I love this! I bet these are crunchy bits of goodness!
Hi Jen – they’re really good – you should try them! Add some sliced carrot and beetroot too! Yummy 🙂
Hi Charles. I came back to see what you would do with the parsnips. I would like these chips. Unfortunately, I have sworn off deep-frying after a double kitchen stove fire that was not pretty. I’ll wait for Kelly’s oven-baked version. Coincidentally, I was using my (also scary) mandoline to slice lemons for my first Shaker lemon pie this morning.
Hi Sharyn – Eek, that doesn’t sound like fun. Thankfully, I never had any major incidents in my kitchen. I’d be pretty terrified if I did 🙁
I’m looking forward to seeing the oven-baked version too 🙂
I know what you mean about the mandoline though. The first time I used it I sliced a big portion of my finger nail clean off… that was *incredibly* painful 🙁
So impressive, Charles! These sound fantastic. I love parsnip chips, but yours sound soo much better since they’re homemade. And you’re right, not too caloric. I can’t believe it’s already the end of January as well…time really does fly! Congrats to Barb for winning the giveaway. 🙂 🙂
Thanks so much Caroline 🙂 If only I could find uncooked beets in France, I could make beetroot chips too :'( – sigh! Oh well… Parsnip chips are pretty amazing. They’d go great with your pizza dip you made, no doubt! 🙂
These look absolutely delicious, Charles! I can’t imagine my kitchen without a mandoline! Congratulations to Barb! She’s a sweetie!
Thanks so much Ann – I agree – I wouldn’t be without my mandoline now, even though I did cut off a large portion of my fingernail the first time I used it 😀
I need a mandoline I know, I know. These look really good and I’m not an expert on calories, but they look like health food to me. Yummy, yummy health food.
Thanks Greg – You should totally get a mandoline. You especially could do great things with it in the kitchen I think! 🙂
Not sure about these being health food, but they’re definitely better than potato chips, so that counts for something 😀
I totally agree..where has January gone?!
I have never had a parsnip before, maybe I can try with carrots first. I have a mandoline and love using it to make ribbon salads.
Thanks Sawsan – It works really well with carrots, and also beetroot as well, if you can get them! I hope you get a chance to try parsnips some time too – they’re so good!
This sounds like a very delicious way to prepare parsnips! I have to try these they look so good 🙂
Thanks Sydney – they’re a great snack! Hope you get a chance to try them 🙂
Oh Charles, you really do come up with the best recipes. I always look forward to your posts because you are full of surprises and I never know what you’ll come up with next. Parsnips are a favourite vegetable of mine and I can’t understand why others have such an aversion to them. I have recently bought a mandolin and will use it to make these chips. How delicious!
Hi Charlie – definitely – I love parsnips too, but others seem to really dislike them 🙁 The taste can be a bit overwhelming if you eat them too much, but if you just do something a little “different” with them they’re irresistible!
I am so happy to have found your website. I just bought some parsnips and sweet potatoes and I am going to give your idea a try. Sound delicious.
Thanks Bam – Sweet potato and parsnip chips sounds great – I hope you’re able to give them a try, and that they turn out as well as mine did 🙂 Let me know how it goes, and thanks for dropping by today 🙂
Funny, I’ve been attempting to make parsnip chips this weekend as well. I say attempting, since I’ve cut them lengthwise with a potato peeler, and when I tried frying something just went wrong and they turned out nothing like yours. Will, definitely have to invest in a mandolin…
Hi Gourmantine – what happened for you over the weekend? Did they not crisp up enough? I find a mandoline invaluable for things like this – it’s very difficult to get the desired results with other tools, and a mandoline is so fast too. They range in price right from ~€25 all the way up to ~€250 or more if you get really “pro” models in stainless steel. They’re great for making crinkle-cut / “waffle” – style potato chips too
right, it has taken me a little bit to respond… 🙂 Mine actually fried so unequally, that one side burned and he other was so so. I think it’s because they weren’t equally cut.. probably.. will try next time after cutting with mandolin.
Yeah, they can be really difficult and frustrating to do if you don’t have an even method of cutting them – let me know how they go if you try again – I hope they turn out well!
Congratulations to Barb.
Parsnips are not something that I use in my cooking so it’s always interesting to see a new use for it. 🙂
Thanks A_Boleyn – I’d recommend these to everyone… they’re so yummy 😀
Congratulations Barb!!! Now Charles, you know I love parsnips and you just made an incredible snack that I know I will love and probably snack on all darn day lol. These look delish!
Thanks Kay – these vanished within a couple days (and by the last day it was only the small, crummy ones left!). So nice 🙂
Congrats to the winner! Until I saw parsnip in this post, I didn’t realize that I never had it. It’s sort of silly, but what I thought parsnip was turnip! My goodness. These two English words sound or look similar and I completely remember it wrong! I eat turnip, but not parsnip yet! Duh. I wonder if I can find this… I just never looked in the supermarket. It’s definitely a new ingredient to me. How’s the taste? I’m so curious to try…and guess what we recently bought Mandoline (which is another word that I didn’t know so I Googled and I realized we just bought this not a long ago, and I didn’t even know the name!). I’ll be searching “parsnip”!
Hi Nami – hehe, I think there’s a whole load of root vegetables. I always have difficulties remembering the names of them in Swedish, so I can totally understand where you’re coming from!
I hope you can seek it out in the supermarket – the taste is just wonderful… so unique. It’s recommend cutting it into large pieces and roasting them in the oven in a bit of oil until they’re golden and crispy… sooooo nice! 🙂
you know i never consider calories! i think humans dont work liek machines, so energy in energy out isn’t the right way to determine our weight. as long as food is prepared using whole ingredients, real food, made with love, that’s gonna beat any processed junk out there! these parsnip chips sound gorgeous! I want to try these with some beetroot I’ve got in my fridge now, hopefully will post back and let you know 😉
Hi Shuhan – I always take the approach that energy is quite important. The human body is a machine after all – a very complex one – and with a bit of variance, you can pretty much calculate exactly how many energy is required each day for your body to function at “peak performance” and not gain, or lose weight, based on body weight, build, etc. That said – the mention of calories was mainly to draw attention to the fact that they are much better than potato chips, and use less oil, but in any case – I think some people focus on calories way too much. I think a balanced diet of good, well prepared, enjoyable food is the way to go… not just that but recognising when your body is full and knowing when to stop eating. I think so many people eat too fast, they don’t give their body time to process what they’ve taken in, and so by the time the brain is saying “hey, we’re full now, stop stop stop”, they’ve already eaten way more than they should have 🙂
for me, i’m more concerned about what actually goes into our body instead of how many calories it has. a banana for instance probably has more calories than a diet soda, but one is definitely going to nourish our body, while the other is not! but yup, my mention of calories is also to say “Well done charles! your chips are fab! (:” , not for the fact that they have less calories, but for the fact that they were made without any extra chemicals and preservatives, and that they were handcooked and made by you (:
Oh sure – I completely agree. Diet Soda – like, 0 calories, while bananas are really high in sugars (fructose though) and energy, but – bananas contain many, many fantastic nutritional benefits and they’re a perfect food to eat if you’re feeling a bit “snackish”, but I know what you mean though 🙂 Now I just need to find some raw beets so I can make beet chips too 😀
hehe and i want to find some parsnips this sat to make your parsnip chips too!
Awesome! Let me know how it goes if you try it 🙂
Oh god I love parsnips. I can smell them in my imagination – that sweetness, that weird but gorgeous taste is on my tongue. Alas, I can´t find them here unless I go to a ridiculously over priced English store an hour away where they sell sad, limp “English” veg bought over from Gibraltar. Will have to make carrot chips instead which are good, but not AS good 🙁
Hi Chica – there’s nothing more sad than a limp, slightly shrivelled parsnip 🙁
Carrot chips are ok – my main gripe is that they’re so much smaller than parsnips so you can’t get nice big pieces. If you have fresh beetroot you can cut that finely, and that makes amazing chips! 🙂
I love parsnip chips and the root vegetable chips that you can buy. I don’t think I can be bothered to make my own! Love your video recipe.
Haha, thanks bakingaddict – at least you’re honest! 😀 If you do ever feel like giving it a try, it’s not that hard, and very satisfying 🙂
This is something very exotic! At least seems like that to me ) Do you think I can buy them somewhere here to try at first?
Hi Marianna – Yeah, the company which makes them is called Tyrells I think – they’re really good, but home-made ones are more fun!
Ooooooh! the day I’ll get hold of a proper mandoline, I’ll make wonders!!
I discovered parsnip in UK and the only way I had it was roasted with potatoes and served with gravy..I used to call it parship! I just got it right recently.
That’s a brilliant idea to make des chips (or crisps)!
Hi Nada – I can well imagine the things you’d create. You should buy one. You can a good adjustable one with interchangeable blades for about €30 on Amazon. I’d like a really good metal one, but for now my little plastic one will suffice 🙂
Roasted parsnips are the BEST – you had them in one of their best forms 🙂
Although parsnips have always been a plenty in the UK, it was considered a lost vegeatble not so long ago in France!
They are very popular in Japanespecially as soup and of course as chips!
Great explanations and pictures as usual!
Hi Robert-Gilles! I had no idea they were so popular in Japan – if they’re a “lost” vegetable in France it explains a lot… although it seems perhaps they’re becoming “found” again, because I saw them in a large Auchan supermarket the other day… that really gave me a shock… it’s very rare to seem them outside of markets or smaller stores.
The fact they are also advertised as a particularly healthy veg might give you the answer…
I finally got a mandoline for Christmas and used it a couple of times. You must have read my mind, I wanted to make parsnip chips along with other root veggies, like beets and sweet potatoes. They look great, though my kids would dip them in ketchup! lol
Hi Lisa – definitely… beet, parsnip and carrot chips are just *awesome*! Carrots have to be cut lengthways into ribbons and maybe cut in half because you can’t get the nice big rounds with them, but beets and parsnips slice beautifully. Beets especially fry up to make amazing chips, but alas I can’t seem to find “raw” beets here (they’ve all been boiled already, grrr!)
I bought a mandoline last fall and love it! It is definitely perfect for a task such as this. I’ve always wanted to make parsnip chips and you just inspired me to do so. I have some parsnips in the fridge and a mandoline just waiting for something to cut. YUMMY!
Hi MJ – Glad to see there’s another mandoline fan here! They’re so wonderful aren’t they? If you don’t fancy frying them, Kelly made some really nice baked parsnip chips recently, which look amazing!