Cauliflower

Roasted cauliflower and parsnip mashed potatoes with horseradish

March 31, 2011
4.5
2 Ratings
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

This dish embellishes mashed potatoes with the complex flavors of roasted cauliflower and parsnips and the bite of creamed horseradish. It goes nicely with broiled salmon and a big green salad. - Fairmount_market —Fairmount_market

Test Kitchen Notes

An extremely satisfying dish even when eaten by itself in a bowl! The pungent horseradish combines wonderfully with the butter and cream to provide a pleasantly mild seasoning to the mashed potatoes. The heat of the horseradish benignly dominates the dish, giving a bold character to a traditionally mild and bland staple. The roasted parsnips add an aromatic earthiness to the blend. I opted to smash the roasted vegetables roughly to retain some of the texture and this worked beautifully with the creamy smooth mashed potatoes. The advice not to over mix should not be ignored. The play of flavors and textures, both individually and combined, is the hallmark character of this dish. - Panfusine —Panfusine

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 6 medium sized parsnips
  • olive oil
  • 4 medium sized yukon gold potatoes
  • 1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons creamed horseradish, or to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and chop the cauliflower into approximately 1 inch pieces. Toss on a baking sheet with olive oil to coat and salt and pepper. Peel the parsnips and chop into evenly sized, approximately 1 inch pieces. On a separate baking sheet, toss these with olive oil to coat and salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables, turning frequently, until they are cooked through and nicely browned in parts, about 30 minutes. Puree in a food processor or with an immersion blender.
  2. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and chop into sixths. Cover in salted water and cook until they are soft, about 30 minutes. In a microwave or saucepan on the stove, heat the butter and cream until the butter has just melted and then stir in the horseradish. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and transfer them to a bowl. Pour over the horseradish cream and mash with a potato masher. Mix in the roasted vegetable puree, being careful not to over mix. Taste and add more salt or horseradish if you like, and serve warm.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • AntoniaJames
    AntoniaJames
  • Fairmount_market
    Fairmount_market
  • gingerroot
    gingerroot
I'm a biology professor and mother of two, and in my (limited) free time I love to cook, which is much more forgiving than laboratory science. Last year I helped start a farmers market in my neighborhood, and to promote it, I created a food blog: fairmountmarket.blogspot.com. I enjoy the challenge of coming up with recipes for local, seasonal ingredients and finding fun ways to cook with my children.

4 Reviews

AntoniaJames April 7, 2011
Sounds so, so good. I've been obsessed with roasting cauliflower, too, for some reason. I plan to make this soon. Love the suggestion to serve with broiled salmon! ;o)
 
Fairmount_market April 7, 2011
Let me know how you like it!
 
Fairmount_market March 31, 2011
Thanks! I'm slightly obsessed with roasting cauliflower these days. It adds so much flavor to a rather innocuous vegetable.
 
gingerroot March 31, 2011
I love your use of cauliflower with the horseradish!