Jono & Jules do food & wine

This Dennis Cotter mash is so delicious! It goes really well with the mushrooms and onions here and it was so good we made it two nights in a row, the second night with sausages (sorry Dennis).

Roast parsnip mash with sage-grilled portobello & caramelised red onion – to serve 4

• 400g parsnip, peeled, cored and diced
• vegetable oil, for tossing
• 800g floury potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
• 150ml milk
• 100g butter
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• salt and pepper

FOR THE CARAMELISED RED ONION

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 red onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar

FOR THE SAGE-GRILLED MUSHROOMS

• 30g butter
• 10 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
• 4 large portobello mushrooms

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400ºF/gas mark 6.

Toss the parsnips in a little olive oil in an oven dish, cover loosely with baking parchment and roast for 15 minutes, or until soft. Blend to a purée in a food processor.

Steam the potatoes until soft and drain them. Put the milk and butter in the pan, warm gently until the butter melts, then add the potatoes and mash them. Stir in the parsnips and chives and season with salt and pepper (we like white pepper for potatoes).

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil a small pan and fry the onions over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the vinegar and sugar, cover loosely with baking parchment and lower the heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until soft and caramelised.

Meanwhile, soften the butter for the mushrooms and stir in the sage. Spread the butter on the mushrooms, season and place them on an oven tray. Roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Pour any mushroom juices into the onion pan.

Spoon some mash on each plate. Serve the mushrooms on the side and scatter the onions over the top. Pour on any pan juices.

Wine Suggestion: We tried a Portuguese red from the Douro which went really well but any earthy red would be nice.

(Original recipe from Denis Cotter: for the love of food, Collins, 2011.)