Baked parsnip fries with cashew aioli

Tamara West

As a starter for a gathering, a pile of these on a board will get demolished in no time. Parsnip takes the idea of carrot and amplifies it, and these chips give off an intoxicating aroma of earthy sweetness during baking. If you leave them in the oven long enough to get browned edges and skinny bits, you get the bonus flavour of caramelisation. The dip, with lots of lemon and parsley and a base of creamy sweet cashew, is a refreshing contrast. Serve sprinkled with flaky salt, surrounded with sprigs of parsley and wedges of lemon so you can amp up each mouthful as you choose. Nothing to feel guilty about here — fresh vegetables and herbs with a little bit of olive oil are great. Parsnips are higher in dietary fibre than potatoes and are also a good source of folic acid.

Baked parsnip fries

4	Parsnips (Main)
1 Tbsp	Olive oil
½ tsp	Salt
1 bunch	Flat leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
½	Lemons, to squeeze on top

Cashew aioli

1 cup	Raw cashew nuts
4 cloves	Garlic
¾ tsp	Salt
2 Tbsp	Lemon juice
1	Lemon, zested
½ cup	Water, + 2 Tbsp extra
½ tsp	Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp	Olive oil
½ cup	Chopped parsley

Directions

1. Cut parsnips into thin french fry-style strips. Toss in a bowl with olive oil and salt.
2. Spread over an oven tray and bake at 180C for 30 minutes or until golden with crispy edges — the smaller they are the quicker they'll cook.
3. Serve on a board, sprinkled with chopped parsley, salt and a squeeze of lemon juice, and with cashew aioli for dipping.
4. For the cashew aioli: Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender and run until very smooth with no lumps remaining.