Turnips don’t exactly have a fan club, do they?
But after last night, I’m starting to think they might deserve one—and I may just be the president of that club.
Turnips are one of those vegetables people say they don’t like… or maybe they’ve just never really given them a chance. After Easter dinner yesterday, I think my son Paul may have changed his mind about this humble little vegetable.
Growing up, my mother and grandmother (who lived next door) always cooked vegetables from my dad’s wonderful garden. Things like turnips, speckled butterbeans, and Jerusalem artichokes would regularly appear on the table. I can’t say I ever really tried them—I definitely wasn’t the kid asking for seconds.
Funny enough, the only time I truly appreciated a turnip was years later when I was catering. I once turned one into a beautiful pink rose (see picture below) for a platter garnish. It looked impressive… but I still wasn’t interested in eating it.
Over the years, I’ve cooked turnips the same simple way—boiled, drained, then finished with salt, pepper, maybe a little nutmeg, and butter.
This Easter, I decided to do something different.
I sliced the turnips and cooked them in water with fresh rosemary and thyme from my herb garden. After draining, I added caramelized onions, a spoonful of duck fat, a bit of butter, and finished them with crispy chopped pork belly.
And that made all the difference.
Cooking turnips this way brought out their flavor. They naturally have a slight bitterness, but the herbs and the sweetness from the caramelized onions balanced everything. It made me realize they might deserve a little more attention after all.
So it was a successful Easter dinner—Hawaiian pork tenderloin, pineapple macadamia nut casserole, scalloped potatoes, green beans with tomatoes and bacon… and my newly appreciated vegetable, the turnip.
I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tonight.
BLAST FROM THE PAST: I posted this recipe for Elote dip back in 2016 and now it has over 17,000 views Give it a try for your next cookout.
After the first 10 minutes of boiling the turnips add in the rosemary and thyme.
Cook anothr 10 minutes are so until turnips are tender.
Fry your pork belly (or bacon) pieces until crisp and then drain on paper towels.
Saute the onions slowly until nice and brown.
Drain the turnips and remove large pieces of the herbs.
Add the caramelized onions to the turnips and gently fold them in.
I add a little duck fat and butter.
Top with the crispy pork belly/bacon.
So this beautiful turnip rose probably took me less than 10 minutes to throw today.
Turnips Worth a Second Change
Ingredients
- 3 large turnips
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 3-4 Tbsp. butter/and or duck fat
- 6-8 slices pork belly or bacon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut your bacon or pork belly into small pieces and brown in small skillet until crispy. Drain on paper towel and set aside for garnishing later.
- Cut the onion in half and then cut into 1/4" pieces. Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet and slowly cook until the onions are golden brown. Set aside
- Peel the turnips and then either slice into 1/4" slices or cut in small 1 1/2" pieces. Put in a medium size pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes then add the rosemary and thyme. Cook another 8-10 minutes or until turnips are fork tender. Drain carefully and remove any large stems left in pot.
- After draining turnips, add the butter and/or duck fat. Fold in the cooked onions. Put in serving dish and garnish with the crispy pork belly/bacon.
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