A rapid roast – the parsnips and potatoes

All the “Ps”!

In the morning pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas6.

Peel the parsnips and the potatoes and parboil, they should be of a similar size so they'll cook evenly. Note to self – cook extra! There are no specific numbers – you know how many you'll need to serve as part of the roast, plus the extras. Parboil the parsnips first for 2/3 minutes. Lift them out of the water and place them in a foil tray (or roasting tin) pre-heated with a glug of rapeseed oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Place them in the oven for 15 minutes – set your timer. Turn the parsnips and repeat.

Add the potatoes to the same water and repeat. Drain the potatoes and add 1 tbsp of semolina and shake well. Season with salt and black pepper, then place in a foil tray or roasting tin with a glug of rapeseed oil – pre-heated and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn the potatoes and repeat.

Remove both the parsnips and potatoes after 30 minutes, cover and set aside to cool.

The story so far … you've got rid of all the labour intensive prep, not to mention all the muck and rubbish that goes with it and your kitchen is now a stress free zone.

You've halved the time you need to return to the kitchen later in the day.

To prove my point :

30 minutes to rest the pork

30 minutes to cook your crackling (optional)

meat juices thickened in the slow cooker and can

then be left to its own devices until serving

Whilst the pork is resting, return your parsnips (try

adding a drizzle of maple syrup) and your potatoes to the

oven for a final 30 minutes roasting

In other words, prep the boring stuff in the morning, then you can get on with your day and you only need 30 minutes to pull it all together before your guests arrive.

Whatever else you decide to serve with your roast is personal – a couple of compulsory bits – in my opinion – coming next.

Time for an aperitif!