Roasting carrots and parsnips perfectly can completely enhance the whole Christmas dinner – and one small change can make guarantee them being tastier than ever
A cook has shared his go-to method to always get deliciously roasted carrots and parsnips, adding one step to cooking them that many will skip over.
As Christmas draws nearer with each passing day, countless families will already be planning the culinary delights that’ll grace their festive tables. For several households, this means pulling out all the stops with a proper Christmas feast and all the trimmings that accompany it. From achieving the perfect roasted turkey to discovering the ultimate recipe for crispy spuds and rich gravy, food frequently takes centre stage on the big day.
However, one Christmas dinner component that’s easily overlooked are the roasted vegetables, which don’t receive the attention they truly deserve.
Carrots and parsnips might appear dull when stacked against pigs in blankets, but they can genuinely elevate the entire feast when prepared properly.
What’s more, making just one alteration can utterly revolutionise the final outcome. So what’s the secret to creating the ultimate roast vegetables?
A cook called Max turned to TikTok to reveal his preferred method for preparing carrots and parsnips, which will complement any Christmas spread beautifully.
He explained: “This is my favourite way to make honey roasted carrots and parsnips. They’re honestly so delicious and really easy to make.”
To execute Max’s recipe at home, begin by peeling the carrots and parsnips. Next, trim the top and bottom from the vegetables and slice them lengthways.
Whilst most cooks would be preparing to place the veg straight into the oven, Max pops them into a saucepan with some water.
He par boils them for 10 minutes until they’ve softened. By doing this, the carrots and parsnips to cook evenly in the oven.
After the 10 minutes have passed and the vegetables have softened, he then drains and let’s the veggies steam dry for a few minutes. Once the vegetables are lovely and tender, it’s time to get roasting.
Before putting them into the oven, Max drizzles oil onto the vegetables in the oven tray, before seasoning generously with salt. He then roasts them in the oven at 180C for about 30 minutes, taking them out and flipping at the 15 minute mark.
After this, Max chops fresh rosemary and thyme and scatters over the veggies. He then goes on to add some freshly cracked pepper and a generous drizzle of honey.
Once these additional flavourings have been added, pop the veg back in the oven for around 15 minutes.
When fully cooked, Max said: “They should be golden brown, and nicely caramelised on the bottom, like this.”
Trying the delicious pasnips and carrots, the foodie gushed: “That is absolutely banging, lovely.”
And we must admit, they do look fantastic!
