Ingredients (18)
For the parsnips:
- 2 large parsnips
- sunflower oil for frying
For the apple and parsnip mousse:
- 5 tablespoons + 1/4 teaspoon cream
- 1/2 sheet gold leaf gelatine
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon fine granulated sugar
- 5 teaspoons water
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 teaspoons apple purée
- 2 1/2 teaspoons parsnip purée
- pinch of freeze-dried apple powder
- salt, to taste
For the apple and chamomile infusion:
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried chamomile flowers
- 4 tablespoons fine granulated sugar
- 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled
For the apple caramel:
- 4 tablespoons fine granulated sugar
- 2 cups apple and chamomile infusion
To serve:
- 5 freeze-dried apple quarters, 3 of them cut into 12 pieces total and the remaining 2 quarters left whole for grating
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Parsnips and apples have a great affinity for each other, and this stunning recipe from chef Dan Hunter’s Brae cookbook combines them in ways you’ve likely never experienced before. A creamy parsnip-apple mousse anchors a crisp parsnip skin rolled into a golden cone, and everything is garnished with a gorgeously dark apple caramel (infused with a wisp of chamomile), as well as freeze-dried apples both finely grated and cut into chewy chunks. A symphony of textures and gentle sweet-tart flavors, this is a real show-stopper. Naturally, it does take a bit more effort than your standard dessert, but give this a try if you’re feeling ambitious.
The gold leaf gelatine called for in this recipe doesn’t refer to anything gilded —instead, “gold” refers to the degree of firmness with which the gelatine will set, and “leaf gelatine” is the form generally preferred by pastry chefs, as it sets clearer and with a smoother consistency than powdered gelatine. Leaf gelatine also does not impart any additional flavor, but allows the other ingredients to come through cleanly.
Take your parsnips in a more savory direction with our Honey-Mustard Parsnips recipe, or our Potato and Parsnip Mash recipe.
Tips for Eggs
Tip
How to Store Eggs
Eggs should keep a consistent and low temperature. This is best achieved by placing their carton in the center of your fridge. The eggs should also remain in their original packaging to avoid the absorption of strong odors.
It is wise to follow the “best by” date to determine overall freshness, but eggs can be tested by simply dropping them into a bowl of water. Older eggs will float while fresh eggs will sink. This is due to the size of their air cells, which gradually increase over time.
Cooked eggs have a refrigerator shelf life of no more than four days, while hard-boiled eggs, peeled or unpeeled, are safe to consume up to one week after they’re prepared.
It is wise to follow the “best by” date to determine overall freshness, but eggs can be tested by simply dropping them into a bowl of water. Older eggs will float while fresh eggs will sink. This is due to the size of their air cells, which gradually increase over time.
Cooked eggs have a refrigerator shelf life of no more than four days, while hard-boiled eggs, peeled or unpeeled, are safe to consume up to one week after they’re prepared.
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Next: How to Cook Eggs
Tip
How to Cook Eggs
The beauty of an egg is its versatility. Eggs can be cooked in a variety of ways. Here are some tips in accomplishing the four most common preparations.
Scrambled: Whip your eggs in a bowl. The consistency of your scrambled eggs is a personal preference, though it seems like the majority of breakfast connoisseurs enjoy a more runny and fluffy option. In this case, add about ¼ cup of milk for every four eggs. This will help to thin the mix. Feel free to also season with salt and pepper (or stir in cream cheese for added decadence). Grease a skillet with butter over medium heat and pour in the egg mixture. As the eggs begin to cook, begin to pull and fold the eggs with a spatula until it forms curds. Do not stir constantly. Once the egg is cooked to your liking, remove from heat and serve.
Hard-boiled: Fill a pot that covers your eggs by about two inches. Remove the eggs and bring the water to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, carefully drop in the eggs and leave them for 10-12 minutes. For easy peeling, give the eggs an immediate ice bath after the cooking time is completed. For soft-boiled eggs, follow the same process, but cut the cooking time in half.
Poached: Add a dash of vinegar to a pan filled with steadily simmering water. Crack eggs individually into a dish or small cup. With a spatula, create a gentle whirlpool in the pan. Slowly add the egg, whites first, into the water and allow to cook for three minutes. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer to kitchen paper to drain the water.
Sunny Side Up/Over Easy/Medium/Hard: For each of these preparations, you are cracking an egg directly into a greased frying pan. For sunny side up, no flipping is involved. Simply allow the edges to fry until they’re golden brown. To achieve an over easy egg, flip a sunny side up egg and cook until a thin film appears over the yolk. The yolk should still be runny upon serving. An over medium egg is flipped, fried, and cooked longer until the yolk is still slightly runny. An over hard is cooked until the yolk is hard.
Scrambled: Whip your eggs in a bowl. The consistency of your scrambled eggs is a personal preference, though it seems like the majority of breakfast connoisseurs enjoy a more runny and fluffy option. In this case, add about ¼ cup of milk for every four eggs. This will help to thin the mix. Feel free to also season with salt and pepper (or stir in cream cheese for added decadence). Grease a skillet with butter over medium heat and pour in the egg mixture. As the eggs begin to cook, begin to pull and fold the eggs with a spatula until it forms curds. Do not stir constantly. Once the egg is cooked to your liking, remove from heat and serve.
Hard-boiled: Fill a pot that covers your eggs by about two inches. Remove the eggs and bring the water to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, carefully drop in the eggs and leave them for 10-12 minutes. For easy peeling, give the eggs an immediate ice bath after the cooking time is completed. For soft-boiled eggs, follow the same process, but cut the cooking time in half.
Poached: Add a dash of vinegar to a pan filled with steadily simmering water. Crack eggs individually into a dish or small cup. With a spatula, create a gentle whirlpool in the pan. Slowly add the egg, whites first, into the water and allow to cook for three minutes. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer to kitchen paper to drain the water.
Sunny Side Up/Over Easy/Medium/Hard: For each of these preparations, you are cracking an egg directly into a greased frying pan. For sunny side up, no flipping is involved. Simply allow the edges to fry until they’re golden brown. To achieve an over easy egg, flip a sunny side up egg and cook until a thin film appears over the yolk. The yolk should still be runny upon serving. An over medium egg is flipped, fried, and cooked longer until the yolk is still slightly runny. An over hard is cooked until the yolk is hard.
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2 of 3
Next: How to Freeze Eggs
Tip
How to Freeze Eggs
Eggs can easily be frozen, but instructions vary based on the egg’s physical state. As a general rule, uncooked eggs in their shells should not be frozen. They must be cracked first and have their contents frozen.
Uncooked whole eggs: The eggs must be removed from their shells, blended, and poured into containers that can seal tightly.
Uncooked egg whites: The same process as whole eggs, but you can freeze whites in ice cube trays before transferring them to an airtight container. This speeds up the thawing process and can help with measuring.
Uncooked yolks: Egg yolks alone can turn extremely gelatinous if frozen. For use in savory dishes, add ⅛ teaspoon of salt per four egg yolks. Substitute the salt for sugar for use in sweet dishes and/or desserts.
Cooked eggs: Scrambled eggs are fine to freeze, but it is advised to not freeze cooked egg whites. They become too watery and rubbery if not mixed with the yolk.
Hard-boiled eggs: As mentioned above, it is best to not freeze hard-boiled eggs because cooked whites become watery and rubbery when frozen.
Uncooked whole eggs: The eggs must be removed from their shells, blended, and poured into containers that can seal tightly.
Uncooked egg whites: The same process as whole eggs, but you can freeze whites in ice cube trays before transferring them to an airtight container. This speeds up the thawing process and can help with measuring.
Uncooked yolks: Egg yolks alone can turn extremely gelatinous if frozen. For use in savory dishes, add ⅛ teaspoon of salt per four egg yolks. Substitute the salt for sugar for use in sweet dishes and/or desserts.
Cooked eggs: Scrambled eggs are fine to freeze, but it is advised to not freeze cooked egg whites. They become too watery and rubbery if not mixed with the yolk.
Hard-boiled eggs: As mentioned above, it is best to not freeze hard-boiled eggs because cooked whites become watery and rubbery when frozen.
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3 of 3
Next: How to Store Eggs
Instructions
For the parsnips:
- 1Preheat the oven to 285 degrees.
- 2Wrap the parsnips in aluminum foil and bake for 3 hours. Once cool, cut through the skin on 1 side of each parsnip, then remove the core and all the flesh, ensuring the skin remains intact as one piece. Carefully scrape any remaining flesh from the skin. Discard the core and flesh. Slice each skin lengthwise so there are 2 equal halves (4 pieces total) and leave the skins to dry a little.
- 3Once semi-dried, fry the skins in sunflower oil until a golden “pastry” color is achieved. While the skins are still hot, shape them into their original cone shape and place on paper towels to cool. The finished crisp skins will appears as though they are parsnips that have been hollowed out. Keep in a cool, dry place until ready to use.
For the apple and parsnip mousse:
- 1In a stand mixer, whisk the cream to soft peaks. Reserve in a cool place.
- 2Soak the gelatine in cold water and, once hydrated, remove it, squeezing out the excess moisture. Set aside.
- 3Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and place over medium heat. While the sugar syrup is warming, put the egg yolks in the stand mixer and begin to beat on medium speed. Meanwhile, heat the syrup to 248 degrees Fahrenheit, turn off the heat, and add the reserved gelatine. Once the gelatine is dissolved, reduce the stand mixer speed slightly and drizzle the sugar syrup between the beater and the side of the bowl, taking care not to hit the beater, so the sugar syrup is mixed with the egg yolks. Once all the sugar syrup is incorporated, increase the stand mixer speed to maximum and beat the eggs until they are shiny, have increased 6 to 8 times in volume, have cooled to room temperature, and are almost white. Placing a bowl of ice water underneath the mixing bowl will help bring the temperature of the meringue down quickly.
- 4Fold in the apple and parsnip purées and freeze-dried apple powder, and a little of the reserved whipped cream. When combined well, fold in the rest of the whipped cream until the mixture is homogeneous. Place the mousse into a pastry bag and reserve, refrigerated, until needed.
For the apple and chamomile infusion:
- 1Bring the water to a boil and pour over the dried chamomile flowers. Cover immediately and leave to infuse for 6 minutes. Strain and discard the chamomile, and combine the infusion with the sugar and apples.
- 2Place these ingredients in a vacuum pack and seal on maximum pressure. Cook at 180 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes. Strain and discard the apples. Season with salt and chill the infusion immediately. Store, covered and refrigerated, until needed.
For the apple caramel:
- 1Caramelize the sugar in a wide-bottomed pan, cooking it to a deep, dark golden color. Deglaze the pan with 2 cups of the apple and chamomile infusion and let reduce to a thick caramel. Store, covered, at room temperature.
To serve:
- 1On each plate, pipe about 10 centimeters of mousse in a straight line and drizzle caramel over and around the mousse. Place 4 freeze-dried apple pieces per plate around the mousse and then lay a piece of parsnip skin over the top so the mousse is hidden underneath. Using a Microplane, grate one half of a piece of the two freeze-dried apple quarters over the parsnip skin on each plate and serve.
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