Getting tired of potatoes in the middle of winter? That’s where parsnips and sweet potatoes come into play. Make oven-roasted “French fries” with these winter staples. The natural sugars in both transform in the magical alchemy of roasting to sweet and earthy, savory and subtle flavors.
1 pound parsnips
1 pound sweet potatoes (or 2 pounds of either one)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. For parsnips, trim tops and bottoms and peel. Slice in half crosswise so you have a thick piece and a thinner piece, then halve or quarter those until you have sticks of roughly the same size. For sweet potatoes, scrub and cut into sticks.
3. On two large baking sheets, spread out the parsnips and sweet potatoes in a single layer and toss with the olive oil, then season with coarse salt and ground pepper.
4. Roast until tender and caramelized on the edges, 25 to 40 minutes depending on the thickness, giving the fries a stir about halfway through cooking.
