Old-school Surprise

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday July 26, 2008

Steve Manfredi smanfredi@smh.com.au

It's a mystery how this versatile vegie ever went out of style.

This week: Turnips

ALONG with medlars, I associate the turnip with the Middle Ages. I blame Shakespeare for the former and Blackadder for the latter. Or, more precisely, his manservant Baldrick, whose obsession with turnips ranges from his "thingy", which is shaped like a turnip, to his recipe for "Turnip Surprise" - the surprise being there's nothing in it except turnip. Blackadder dryly notes that "Turnip Surprise" is, in fact, simply a turnip.

Earlier, the Milanese monk Bonvesin de la Riva, author of De Magnalibus Mediolani (The Marvels of Milan), published in 1288, wrote that the turnips grown on the Milanese Plain and harvested in winter were sweetest and that both rich and poor alike sought them out.

The same can be said of our winter turnips, though they tend to be a little out of fashion on most menus and decidedly "old school". But fashion is no reason to ignore this delicious and versatile vegetable.

The easiest way to prepare them is to boil or steam them. If they're large, peel them and cut into wedges or one-centimetre thick half-moons. If they're small, the size of a golfball or less, then halve them or just keep them whole. Don't overcook.

Use the point-of-a-knife test - if it goes in with little resistance, it's cooked. Drain and toss them with plenty of butter or extra virgin olive oil, some chopped parsley, salt and pepper.

One step up in terms of effort is to mash. Again steam or boil, then work in butter and seasoning.

Best of all is braising because it is slow and the turnips take in flavour. Braise with veal or beef shin, rabbit legs, pork or lamb shoulder, duck legs or any other succulent meat.

Turnip and fennel flan

400g white turnips

400g fennel, trimmed weight

1 small onion, peeled and

thinly sliced

3 tbsp mascarpone

120g egg whites

2 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

40g butter

100ml extra virgin olive oil

8 baby turnips, very thinly

sliced into rounds

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

6 tbsp chives, finely sliced

Peel the 400g of turnips and slice into 1/2 cm thick rounds. Trim outer leaves from fennel and cut into 1/2 cm slices. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and plunge in turnips, fennel and onion for 3-4 minutes until tender. Drain, cool a little and roughly chop, then mix with mascarpone. Beat egg whites and rosemary together lightly with a fork and mix with turnips, fennel and onion. Season well with salt and pepper. Butter six 12cm diameter ramekins and fill with mixture to a depth of 2cm. Bake in a preheated 160C oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a frypan and fry baby turnip slices on both sides until golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve flans with turnip slices on top as well as diced tomato and finish with chopped chives.

Serves 6

Turnips and sausages

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

500g turnips, peeled and diced

300g good pork sausages, cut

into 3-4cm pieces

150ml dry white wine

Handful flat-leaf parsley,

roughly chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a casserole and lightly fry turnips and sausages for 2 minutes, moving around constantly, until golden. Add wine and stir until totally evaporated. At this point turnips should be cooked but, if not, add a little water and evaporate. Add parsley, season lightly with salt and pepper, and stir well.

Serves 4

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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