To Make Parsnops Cakes

This recipe hails from the early 1700s, a period when root vegetables like parsnips were dietary staples, especially before the widespread adoption of potatoes in English kitchens. Sourced from an English handwritten recipe collection, it showcases both the resourcefulness and the sweet-savory palate of the Georgian era. Dishes like this were often served as elegant side items or even as part of a sweet course, demonstrating how vegetables were regularly used in both savory and sweet forms. The inclusion of Sack (a type of sherry) or rose water in the sauce is typical of upper-class English cuisine of the time, signaling both refinement and the international influences present in the period's foodways.

The original cook would have used a stone mortar and pestle to mash the parsnips, a whisk or fork to beat the eggs, and a heavy iron frying pan over an open flame or hearth for frying the cakes. Serving and sauce preparation would have involved a small saucepan or posnet for melting butter. Ladles, wooden spoons, and a slotted spoon or spatula for turning the cakes were common implements in such kitchens.