Turnip Gratin

Laurie from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska is hosting this edition of Weekend Herb Blogging and this week I've opted for the ever so humble, Turnip


My previous adventure with turnips had been in the form of baby turnips and that had left me with a new appreciation for this brassica.

Usually turnips have been reserved for the minor parts in my dishes but this time I was going to change that - turnip would be the star. To accomplish this task I decided to make a turnip gratin!



Turnip Gratin

Turnips, peeled and sliced evenly
Spring Onions/Green Onions, sliced
cream
milk
salt and freshly ground white pepper
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

I haven't specified quantities as you can make as much or as little as you like - the method remains the same.

Prepare the spring onions:
Once you've sliced the spring onions, heat a little butter in a small pan over a medium heat. When the butter has melted, add in the spring onions and sauté very briefly until the just begin to wilt - this should take somewhere between 30 seconds and a minute. Take them off the heat and set to one side.

Make the gratin:
Take a casserole dish and layer it with turnip slices - sprinkle over with a little of the wilted onions, then repeat with another layer of turnips and onions - on every second layer add a little finely grated Parmigiano. You should finish with the turnips with a few pieces of onion poking through.

Pour cream and milk into a bowl and season lightly - whisk, the mixture should have the consistency of slightly thick milk. You can make this to your own preference, some will use just cream, some will use different combinations.

Carefully drizzle this over the turnips, it should just cover them. Finish the dish with an extra sprinkle of Parmigiano.

Place in a pre-heated 160ºC/320ºF oven until golden and bubbling and the turnips have softened.

Best served immediately.


I don't know if it's due to the variety of turnips used or the way they are cooked but these most definitely had a subtle taste of horseradish - combined with that creamy texture it had us dipping in for seconds!

More ways with turnips:



Brisket Stracotto
Roasted Vegetable Frittata

Torta Margherita

Ever since I used potato flour for that pear and walnut sponge pudding I've had the urge to make that quintessential Italian cake, Torta Margherita. The key to this cake's intriguing texture is in the flour - potato flour.


As you can see, potato flour is pure white in colour, very finely textured, it's like a cross between icing sugar and pure cornflour. For those with gluten intolerance, you'll be happy to know that this is gluten free.

Torta Margherita is one of the cakes my mother would reserve for special occasions. It is as light as a sponge but has a fascinating, almost chewy crust and great mouth-feel which I can only credit as a property of potato flour.


Torta Margherita

4 eggs
150 grams caster sugar
120 grams potato flour
finely grated rind of 1 lemon


The most important part in making Torta Margherita is ensuring that the eggs and sugar have been whipped correctly - you can't rush this and as my mother tells me, back in Italy without the benefit of electric mixers, this process would take a good 30-40 minutes to do by hand.

Place the eggs and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until thick and creamy. Stop after about 5 minutes to add the grated lemon and then continue beating for another 5 minutes. In my Kitchen Aid bowl, this reached almost to the top of the bowl.

Double sift the potato flour and on a low speed sprinkle in the flour - once it has all been added, increase the heat and whip for 10-15 seconds to ensure the flour has been dispersed.

Pour the mixture into a buttered and lined cake tin - I used a 23cm spring-form pan but you could divide the mixture to make 2 x 18cm cakes.

Bake in a preheated 160°C/320°F oven until golden and cooked through. Much like a souffle this will rise will cooking.

Cool slightly before removing it from the pan and then dust with icing sugar.


This is a very simple version - split it and fill it with crema pasticcera for a more decadent option.

Treats your nonna would make:



Torta Meringata con Mele
Torte della Nonna
Crostoli