Parsnip and Smoked Almond Skordalia
The origins of skordalia are firmly planted in Greece. A traditional garlicky puree of either potatoes, moist bread or almonds emulsified with olive oil, it’s occasionally served as a dip but it’s more usual for skordalia to be served as a sauce beside fried fish, or vegetables that have been steamed, boiled or fried.
I am finding more and more to get excited about in Greg Malouf’s latest publication New Feast. Content with the almond skordalia from my local farmer’s market, I had never really interested in making my own until I read Malouf’s recipe. The use of parsnips as the base ingredient had me intrigued.
It was incredibly simple to make, but I had trouble reconciling Malouf’s inclusion of smoked cheese, it seemed at odds with the parsnips so I opted to substitute smoked almonds instead.
The pureed sweet flavoured parsnips, creamy from being cooked in milk make a a delicious carrier for garlic while the hint of lemon and the toasty smoked almonds add depth and complexity.It was delicious slathered on simple grilled chicken, dolloped on poached eggs and scooped up with crackers and crudite.
I’ll never buy skordlia again!
This parsnip and smoked almond skordalia was adapted from Greg Malouf’s Parsnip Skordalia from “New Feast.”
4 medium parsnips about 600g
300mls milk ( I used rice milk)
1 clove of garlic crushed to a paste with 1 teaspoon of sea salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
50mls olive oil
50g smoked almond meal
sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
Peel the parsnips and chop into even sized pieces. Discard any woody hearts.
Put the parsnips and milk into a saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until the parsnips are soft and the milk greatly reduced.
Tip the cooked parsnips with the remaining milk into the jug of the blender fitted with a steel blade. Add the garlic paste then reduce the parsnips to a smooth puree.
Scrape down the bowl, add the lemon juice, then with the motor running slowly add the olive oil.
Add the almond meal, pulse until just combined then taste and adjust the seasonings.
Allow the flavours to develop for a few hours before serving at room temperature as a sauce or dip.
I found this freezes well.
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14 comments on “Parsnip and Smoked Almond Skordalia”
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Please Pass the Recipe by Sandra Gay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
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I did not know skordalia was a thing. Anything with parsnips though..
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What an interesting combination – parsnips in place of potatoes. The flavour must be incredible. Must try this. Given the fact that most of my Greek friends think parsnips are white carrots, this will really flummox them! (Something I try to do regularly 😉)
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The flavour IS incredible, sweet and fragrant and totally delicious, let me know how you like it Deb….
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So interesting… I’d heard of skordalia, but have never made or eaten it before. Only last night I was flicking through a small cookbook by George Calombaris that I’d picked up at the recent Lifeline Book Fair and read about skordalia in there as well. Must be a sign that this is definitely something I need to try! 🙂
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Yes, it’s a sign Margot, time to try skordalia. Enjoy…
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This is so different I feel like closing the computer and having a ‘go’ at this now 🙂 ! Luckily I do have some parsnips in the fridge even tho’ ’tis not the season. This would be the highlight and ‘glue’ for any ‘plain’ meal . . . have some chicken legs also to try first – thanks for one more terrific recipe!!!
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Always happy to share worthwhile recipes…
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Capital Y triple Yum. I am now waiting for some decent parsnips to come my way.
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I’ve been surprised at parsnips being around all summer, from Tassie apparently. This is a gorgeous take on the more conventional skordalias I’ve eaten
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I never knew what skordalia was and now I know a better version. I thought your first photo was suggesting a dessert… but now I understand that you are showing us its consistency. Sounds very delectable, especially the way you served with chicken.
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Thanks Fae….
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Love the idea of parsnip skordalia. The smoked almonds are a great substitute for the surprising use of smoked cheese!
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The parsnips raised the skordalia to a new level of deliciousness Cheery, absolutely yum!
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