Serves 8

This recipe would also work well with carrots.

Olive oil
1kg parsnips, peeled and halved, or quartered if large
3 star anise
Pinch of ground cumin
Handful of thyme sprigs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp clear honey
Splash of pure apple juice or water
Few knobs of butter

1 Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a large sauté pan. When the oil is hot, throw in the parsnips and toss them around the pan to coat in the oil. Add the star anise, cumin and thyme and some seasoning. Cook over a moderate heat, turning the parsnips frequently until golden brown and almost cooked through.

2 Drizzle over the honey and cook until it starts to caramelise. Deglaze the pan with the apple juice or water and increase the heat. Cook until the liquid has evaporated, by which time the parsnips should be cooked all the way through. Stir through a few knobs of butter at the end to glaze.

Times Recommends

• How to season a wok
• Chicago Rib Shack hits back at its critics
• Gordon Ramsay: Indian barbecue