Deeply and richly spiced, these sweetly roasted unctuous parsnips can be fully prepped before Christmas Day and frozen until they’re ready to go in the oven.

This little bit of pre-Christmas prep gives you more time to prepare and cook everything else. Or to pour an extra sherry to make a toast to your queen. But enough ’bout me, here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 large parsnip per guest

1 tablespoon olive oil per parsnip

1 heaped teaspoon honey per parsnip (or maple syrup or agave for vegans)

Pinch of salt

Whole nutmeg to grate

Cinnamon bark

Whole cloves

Whole star anise

METHOD

Peel and trim the ends from the parsnips and cut into large batons, see photo below.

Place into a pan of boiling water for around 3-4 minutes, until the edges of the parsnips are just softened. Parboiling happens far quicker than you think, so don’t go too far from the kitchen unless you set a timer!

While they parboil, if you’ve already got your ingredients handy, you will have time to measure the olive oil and honey into a mixing bowl. Add the pinch of salt to this mixture. Don’t worry if the honey and oil don’t combine, they will meld together beautifully as you stir them into the parsnips, thanks to their residual heat.

Drain the parsnips when you are happy they are parboiled, then tip them back into the pan. Turn the heat off if you’re placing them back on the stove.

Add the oil/honey/salt mixture to the parsnips and stir to ensure they are all throughly coated. Add 2-3 star anise, a teaspoon or 2 of whole cloves, a generous grating of nutmeg, some cinnamon bark and stir to ensure all the parsnips are coated. The cinnamon bark I have used is from India so it looks different but the bark you can buy here is fine to use too. Stand back and revel in the steamy scent of Christmas for a few seconds. This is the most important part of the recipe!

Tip the parsnips and their regal dressing into an oven tray. I use disposable tin foil ones as they are recyclable where I live.

Cover the tray with tin foil.

If you’re preparing other things like I am, write what they are on the top with the date to make yourself feel more professional (!) and if for some reason you end up keeping them beyond Christmas you’ll know how old they are.

Leave the tray to cool for 15-20 minutes and then place in the freezer.

On Christmas Day, heat your oven to 180C or gas mark 6, remove the tin foil and place in the middle of the oven for twenty minutes and then stir the parsnips thoroughly to ensure they are all throughly coated. Roast for another 20 minutes until golden brown and serve.

TIP: If the parsnips are starting to burn at the edges dip the oven temperature down a notch, ensure they are all well coated in the oil and honey mixture and monitor closely!