Parsnips Stewed in Dark Beer (1627)

• 1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks (halve the thick chunks from the top of the parsnips lengthwise so that they willk cook tender in about the same time as the thinner root ends)
• 1 cup dark beer or stout
• A 1-inch piece of stick cinnamon
• 2 large blades of mace
• 3 whole cloves
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper

Place all ingredients in a heavy, medium-size saucepan and simmer, covered, 30 to 35 minutes until you can pierce parsnips easily with a fork. Turn heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes longer until the beer or stout has thickened into a glaze.  

Remove cinnamon, mace, and cloves, and serve parsnips hot as an accompaniment to roast fowl, ham, or pork.

(Origin - "Recipes from America's Restored Villages" by Jean Anderson, 1975. This recipe was taken from the Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in existence from 1627 to 1691.)