Brown Butter Parsnips with Truffle & Teff Polenta

Ease of Preparation: Medium

Yield: Serves 4-6

Brown Butter Parsnips with Truffle and Teff Polenta

Creamy parsnips are enhanced with the nutty toastiness of brown butter, then set atop a rich polenta made with healthy ground teff and perfumed with the luxurious aroma of black truffle.

Ingredients:

Teff Polenta:

• 2 cups (470 ml) water
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk
• 1 cup (240 ml) teff
• 1 cup (240 ml) finely grated Parmesan, plus extra to garnish
• ¼ cup (60 ml) butter, cold, cut into cubes
• ½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground cardamom
• Salt and pepper

Parsnips:

• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
• 6 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) coins
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• ½ cup (120 ml) butter
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) truffle oil
• 1 lemon, juice only

 Garnish:

• 1 black truffle, to garnish
• Chives, finely sliced to garnish
• Reserved seasoned butter from pan, to garnish

Method:

For the Teff Polenta:

Add water and milk to a pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Add teff and cook until smooth, 15-20 minutes stirring often.

Stir in Parmesan. Remove from heat, stir in butter, cardamom and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until needed.

For the Parsnips:

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C)

Heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Sear the parsnips well on one side, 3-4 minutes without disturbing.

Flip the parsnips and add the thyme, garlic, rosemary and butter. Reduce heat to medium.

Baste the parsnips as they are cooking until crisp-tender, around 3-4 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven at until tender, 10-12 minutes.

Add truffle oil to the pan and baste for 30 seconds. Drizzle lemon juice over parsnips.

Reserve the parsnips and their seasoned butter in the pan until serving.

To Assemble:

Spoon polenta onto a serving plate. Garnish the polenta with grated Parmesan.

Transfer parsnip coins to the plate, cut side up. Drizzle a little bit of reserved seasoned butter from pan over the parsnips.

Finely grate fresh black truffle over the parsnips. Garnish with chives and serve.