Name: Honey roast carrots and parsnips
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Ingredients: Honey Mustard Roast Carrots & Parsnips; 700 g Mixed carrots and parsnips, peeled and cut into even batons; 2 tbsp Olive oil; Sea salt and black pepper; 100 g Runny honey; 30 g Wholegrain mustard; 30 g Dijon mustard; 10 ml White wine vinegar; 1 Clove garlic, crushed or finely grated; 1 tsp Dried thyme, or a few sprigs fresh thyme; Fresh thyme leaves for garnish; 700 g Lighter-coloured carrots and parsnips, peeled and cut into even batons; 250 ml Fresh orange juice; Water (enough to just cover the vegetables), enough to just cover the vegetables; 2 Star anise; 10 Whole cloves; 2 Bay leaves; 4 Thin slices of fresh ginger; 100 g Runny honey; Reduced poaching syrup (from above), from above; Freshly Chopped Parsley, to serve

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The recipe

Honey roast carrots and parsnips

Celebrate Christmas with two beautiful takes on honey roast carrots and parsnips: a honey mustard & thyme roast and a spiced orange & honey glaze.

25 min prep
1 hour 20 min cooking
20 min hands-off
Easy

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Quantities

Measurements

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional).
Step 2: Prepare the vegetables
Peel, top and tail the carrots and parsnips. Cut larger ones into quarters lengthwise; smaller ones can be halved or left whole.
Step 3: Roast
Place on a large roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil (2 tbsp), season with sea salt and black pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, until tender but not fully caramelised.
Step 4: Make the glaze
In a small bowl, mix honey (100 g), both mustards (30 g), vinegar (10 ml), garlic (1 garlic), and thyme (1 tsp) until smooth.
Step 5: Glaze and finish roasting
Pour about half the glaze over the roasted vegetables, toss well, and return to the oven for 20 minutes, or until sticky, golden, and slightly caramelised.
Step 6: Serve
Pile onto a warm serving platter, drizzle with a little extra glaze, and finish with fresh thyme (1 tsp) leaves.
Step 7: Prepare the vegetables
Place the carrots and parsnips in a wide saucepan in a single layer.
Step 8: Add flavour
Pour over the orange (250 ml) juice and enough water to just cover. Add star anise (2 anise), cloves, bay leaves (2 leaves), and ginger (4 ginger).
Step 9: Simmer gently
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to a very gentle simmer.
Step 10: Make a cartouche
Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the pan, with a small hole in the centre for steam to escape. Lay it over the vegetables.
Step 11: Poach
Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the carrots and parsnips are tender and infused with the spiced orange (250 ml) aroma.
Step 12: Drain and reduce
Remove the vegetables and set aside on a rack or tray to steam-dry. Boil the poaching liquid rapidly until it reduces to a light syrup.
Step 13: Make the glaze
Stir the orange (250 ml) syrup into the honey (100 g) until well combined.
Step 14: Roast
Place the carrots and parsnips in a roasting tray, pour over half the glaze, toss to coat, and roast at 180°C fan for 30 minutes, until glossy, sticky, and caramelised.
Step 15: Serve
Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with more glaze, and finish with chopped parsley for a bright, fresh touch.
Step 16: Serving tip
Both versions are perfect Christmas side dishes, serve alongside roast meats, festive nut roasts, or as part of a winter vegetable medley.

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Also in Christmas dinner, start to finish, The Sunday roast.

Questions people ask

How long does honey roast carrots and parsnips take?

About 2 hours 5 min from start to finish: 25 min of prep, 1 hour 20 min of cooking, and 20 min hands-off while it waits. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How much does this make?

The original recipe did not state a yield, so nothing has been invented for it. The scale control on the recipe card multiplies the quantities instead, which is the honest version of the same thing.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Is it vegetarian?

Yes, as written. If you are cooking for a strict vegetarian, the one to check is the cheese: several hard cheeses are made with animal rennet.

Honey roast carrots and parsnips

Honey roast carrots and parsnips

Ingredients

Recipe 1

For the vegetables

For the glaze

To finish (optional)

For the vegetables

For the poaching liquor

For the glaze