Recipe: Spring-Dug Parsnip Fritters with Horseradish Cream

Though parsnips differ in flavor from carrots, they can be cooked in many of the same ways — boiled, mashed, roasted. Very young parsnips can be eaten raw, but older ones need to be cooked to bring out their tenderness and subdue their somewhat pungent flavor.

These spring-dug parsnip fritters with horseradish cream make a great appetizer or passed hors d’oeuvre, but also can be served as a side dish with roast pork, chicken or beef.

Spring-Dug Parsnip Fritters with Horseradish Cream

Makes 4 servings or 8 fritters

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 pound parsnips, washed, peeled, trimmed and grated

3 tablespoons rice flour or all-purpose flour

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. To make the horseradish cream, in a small bowl stir together the sour cream and horseradish. Set aside.

2. To make the parsnip fritters, in a medium bowl combine the parsnips, flour, scallions, salt and pepper. Toss, then add the eggs and mix.

3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-low, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Working in batches, use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop mounds of the parsnip mixture into the skillet.

4. Flatten each mound into a 3-inch patty, then cook until golden-brown on both sides and tender in the center, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside and cover to keep warm while you cook the remaining patties in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.

5. Serve topped with a dollop of horseradish cream.