Miso Glazed Roasted Scarlet Turnips

This dish will work perfectly with Tokyo or Harukei turnips as well as the scarlet turnips, although I would be less sanguine about success with full-sized red-topped or white turnips. If the greens are present and tender, you should add them to the dish. This dish is sort of a 2 for 1-the roasted turnips for 1, the sautéed  greens for 2.

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 bunches Scarlet, Tokyo, or Harukei turnips, trimmed of rootlet and leaves removed, leaving 1-inch or so attached for looks, washed thoroughly, cut in half through the stems

Neutral flavored oil such as avocado or grapeseed, as needed

1 cup, or as needed, Miso Sauce for Glazing (see recipe)

-If sautéing greens-

Turnip greens, thick stems removed, greens torn or cut into wide shreds, washed thoroughly and drained

Oil as needed

If you wish (but go easy)

1 clove garlic, peeled and cracked

Ginger juice

A few drops of soy sauce

1-2 drops sesame oil

METHOD:

Heat the oven to 400°F. While the oven heats, line a sheet pan with foil and spray well with oil. Put the turnip halves into a bowl and drizzle with oil, tossing until well coated. Place the turnips, cut side down.

When oven is hot, place the sheet pan with the turnips on it in the center of the oven, or in the lower third. Roast until turnips are coloring and softening. This ought to take around 15-20 minutes. Check them, if the faces are golden-brown and blistering a little, use tongs to turn the turnips so the flat side faces up. Cook until the turnips are not raw at all, but not cooked soft. They should still retain a firmness to them, and be succulent, but hot through and golden and brown all over the outside. Remove the pan from the oven and add a little Miso Glaze to each face. Use a squeeze bottle for this or a 1-inch paint brush. Use a spatula or spoon to spread it over the surface of the turnip-you want a crust not less than 1/8^th inch and not more than 1/4 inch. Turn on the broiler and move the shelf to the upper third of the oven. Cook until the glaze is golden and bubbling with brown spots here and there. The turnips are ready to serve. If using the tops, place the sautéed tops down and then put the glazed turnips on them. No tops? Just put the turnips on a platter and serve.

If using the tops; when the turnips go in the oven, place a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. When the pan is good and hot, film well with oil. When the oil is hot, tilt the pan so it pools near the handle and add the garlic clove. Cook gently until the garlic is golden all over, then discard the garlic clove. Add the turnip greens and gently wilt them, turning down the heat under the pan if need be to just wilt the greens. If you using sesame oil, just before adding the greens to the pan, add the sesame oil so amalgamates with the rest of the oil, then add the greens. Drizzle with soy sauce and ginger juice, gently turn in the oil and seasonings, and cook until greens are softened and just cooked through. Put onto a platter and keep hot for the turnips to top them.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen