Turnips as Cardoons
They’re buttery, decadent, and a little bit sweet. It’s everything a turnip should be: comforting, complex, a bit unexpected with just a hint of bitterness.
After one taste of these turnips I told my Armo, “Wow! Leave it to the Gentry to be eating in style.” It’s the perfect side dish for a dinner party. It’s uncommon and extremely easy to make.
When I originally came across this recipe in Trend & Tradition, a magazine produced by Colonial Williamsburg, I snubbed my nose at it. I don’t gravitate towards turnips and this recipe didn’t seem exciting or interesting to me. However, I was making another turnip recipe and I had extra turnips so thought, might as well. Oh how I was proved wrong!
This recipe is slightly modified (to make it easier for you to follow) from Colonial Williamsburg Historic Foodways which was adapted from The Practice of Modern Cookery by George , a Dairymple (1781).
Turnips as Cardoons Ingredients
2 medium turnips
2 c water
2 tsp Better Than Chicken Bouillon
1 Tbl flour
1 Tbl butter
¼ tsp salt (maybe)
½ tsp black pepper
Parsley (garnish)
Turnips as Cardoons Directions
Use a really sharp knife and cut off the top and bottom of the turnip. Stand it upright and slice off the peel.
While it is still upright, slice it in half. Put the cut side down on the chopping board and cut into half. Cut into ½” thick wedges. Repeat until both turnips are in wedges.
Put them in a 3 quart sauce pan. Add 2 c water and 2 tsp Better Than Chicken Bouillon. Gently boil it until a fork can easily pierce the turnip. Remove from heat.
In a small frying pan, add 1 Tbl butter. Turn on the heat to about medium low. The butter should just bubble. Add 1 Tbl of flour. Stir until the flour and butter are smooth. It should not darken. Slowly add the broth from the turnips (leave the turnips in the pot) while stirring.
Bring the heat up so the gravy is just below a simmer. Stir until the gravy thickens. I like it thick enough so it sticks to the turnips but thin enough to pool at the bottom of them.
Taste. Add ¼ tsp salt if needed. Depending on how salty your broth was and how much water boiled out, you might not need any. Add ½ tsp black pepper. Stir it to incorporate. Pour the gravy into the turnip pot.
To serve family style, arrange the wedges in a circular pattern on a plate. Put the gravy on top. If you’re really going for the gentry style, make a parsley wreath on the exterior circumference of the turnips. Break off the thin parsley stems so you have small heads of intact leaves. Tuck the stems under the turnips so the leaves are outward. I didn’t think this through and had already chopped all of the parsley I had so I just sprinkled it on top.
