Tonight in the kitchen I made one of President Grover Cleveland’s favorites – Parsnip Fritters.

President Cleveland’s most favorite meal of all was Squirrel Stew but I decided against trying to achieve that masterpiece. First of all, I’ve never tasted or prepared anything squirrel related and I personally wouldn’t eat it. Can’t take the city girl out of the city haha! No offense to those who enjoy squirrel 🥰

During President Cleveland’s first administration in 1885-1889, Parsnip Fritters were on the Thanksgiving menu.

The recipe was also in a White House cookbook published in 1887. The recipe description said the fritters “resemble very nearly the taste of the salsify or oyster plant, and will generally be preferred.”

I couldn’t locate parsnips at my local grocery store so used turnips in its place. I also added a little bit of fresh chopped parley. Other than that…I used the exact recipe from 1887.

The fritters resemble potato cakes – very similar in taste and texture. Absolutely delicious! I recommend dab of sour cream or applesauce on top – extra yummy 😋

Grover Cleveland’s Parsnip Fritters

Ingredients

Servings: 14 (makes two-inch fritters)

16 ounces parsnips, peeled, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths, thick rounds cut in half lengthwise (I used 2 turnips)

Salt

2 teaspoons flour

1 large egg, beaten

A couple pinches of freshly grated nutmeg (I omitted the nutmeg)

2 tablespoons lard, turkey fat (from pan drippings) or unsalted butter, or more as needed (I used Canola oil)

Directions

Place the parsnips in a medium saucepan with salted water to cover, bring to a boil and cook until the parsnips are tender, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander.

Transfer the parsnips to a large mixing bowl. Use a fork or potato masher to press the parsnips into a coarse mash, discarding any sections that are tough and woody. The yield is about 2 cups.

Stir in the flour, egg, salt to taste and the nutmeg, if using, and stir to combine well.

Line a large plate with several layers of paper towels.

Heat the lard, turkey fat or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the parsnip mixture 1 spoonful at a time, pressing down on it to form a round patty about 2 inches in diameter. Work in batches so as not to crowd the skillet. Cook until the patties are golden brown, about 2 minutes, then turn them over and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the cooked fritters to the paper towels to drain. Repeat to fry all of the batter, adding fat as needed. Serve the fritters warm.