Grilled Rosemary Parsnip Fries w/ Easy Garlic Aioli
Let’s talk about sides, shall we?
Because meat & fish shouldn’t have all the fun.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been one of those people who tend to like the sides more than the actual meal. It’s not that I don’t enjoy a sizzling steak or badass rack of ribs — Obviously these foods are amazing. But while protein elicits marginal excitement in my frenetic little head, what I’m REALLY freaking out over is the creamed spinach and scalloped potatoes, corn bread + mac & cheese, and any other pairings I can get my hands on. I’m a sides enthusiast, if you will, so it’s no surprise that when it comes to grilling season I’m all about what comes with my meat, not just the meat itself.
Parsnip fries are one of those vaguely trendy foods that were sorta cool around 2014, so naturally I’m just getting to them now. But while the most prevalent of parsnip recipes espouse roasting them, I decided to throw mine on the grill, assuming that grilling would lend a particularly smokey flavor (it did), take the same amount of time as roasting (it does), and that the texture would be completely insane (it is!!!!).
As it turns out, roasting and grilling parsnips are basically the same thing, so if you’re familiar with the former you can definitely handle the later. While getting started I was pleasantly surprised to find that parsnips are really easy to peel, so let’s celebrate that for a second — Peeling potatoes is THE WORST. Peeling parsnips is A JOY! Two seconds into the recipe and you’re already winning at life.
Next you cut the parsnips into fries, which can easily escalate into an OCD nightmare — Don’t torture yourself! My parsnips were roughly chopped into a variety of sorta-similar shapes, and everything worked out swimmingly — the smaller fries grilled up crispier, the larger ones a bit softer, and I found that that dichotomy made them all the more enjoyable.
The rosemary adds an abundance of fragrance that nicely compliments the parsnip’s subtle nutty flavor, and obviously the grilling lends a bolder taste, too. But the finishing touch to this is definitely the garlic aioli, which frankly is worth eating by the spoon — Tangy, creamy, garlicky? Yes, yes, YES! I was doing serious fry dunks into my aioli with absolutely no shame, and I highly encourage you to follow suit.
Like the delinquent that I am I’ve actually eaten these for lunch, like, three times, but truly these are meant to be a side, not a meal. Pair ’em with hot dogs, burgers, or steak, or even throw them into tacos, gyro-style!! Like actual fries they pretty much go with everything, so do your thang!
xo
Grilled Rosemary Parsnip Fries w/ Easy Garlic Aioli
Ingredients:
- PARSNIP FRIES:
- 2 lbs Parsnips
- 3 tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- several springs fresh Rosemary
- a few pinches Salt & Pepper
- GARLIC AIOLI:
- 1/2 cup Low-Fat Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsps Minced or Crushed Garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 tbsps Lemon Juice
- pinch of Salt & Pepper
- fresh Chives to garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat. Line grill basket with aluminum foil.
- On large cutting board trim the tops and bottoms of each parsnip, then peel. Slice in half to separate the top and bottom parts, then halve the bottom portion and quarter the top portion (slicing lengthwise) until all pieces are roughly the same size. Mine had a lot of variation to them, so don’t sweat this too much!
- In large mixing bowl combine the sliced parsnips with EVOO, rosemary, and a few pinches salt & pepper, tossing evenly to coat. Transfer to lined grill basket, then grill for 35 – 45 minutes until crispy*, turning periodically to grill evenly.
- Meanwhile, in small mixing dish combine all aioli ingredients, stirring well. Chill in refrigerator until needed.
- When ready, serve parsnip fries with garlic aioli, garnishing the aioli with fresh chives if desired.
*I work with a small electric grill, so my fries took closer to 45 minutes to finish. If you’re working with a coal or gas grill, the cook time will be closer to 35 minutes.
fry me.
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