Sauté of Apples and Tokyo Turnips

Turnips and apples are a great combination, with flavors that echo one another as well as flavors acting as foils to one another. Serve as a side to light meats or with a sauté of earthy mushrooms or grains such as kasha, farrow, or brown rice.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch Tokyo turnips, washed, topped and tailed, cut into ½ wedges around 1 inch long

1-2 crisp, sweet-tart apples (around ½ the volume of the trimmed turnips) cut into 3/8ths inch dice

½ medium yellow or red onion, cut into ¼ inch dice

½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped + 2 smallish sprigs*

4 medium to small fresh sage leaves*

1 bay leaf*

Salt and pepper to taste

1½- 2 tablespoons butter

Neutral flavored oil as needed

2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

*The thyme sprigs, sage, and bay are optional, and are used to season the turnip blanching water to flavor them a bit. If you do not have them, don’t sweat it.

METHOD:

Fill a pot with enough water to cover the turnips by at least 50%. Add the optional herbs if you are using them, and bring the water to a boil. When it boils, salt it really well, add the turnips and cook just until they lose their raw edge. A knife should be able pierce the side but not go all the way in. Drain the turnips and toss with a little oil, tossing to coat, and then season lightly with salt and pepper.

While the water heats, set a 10-inch sauté pan over medium high-heat. When hot, film with oil and heat oil until shivering. Add the onions and lower the heat to medium. Toss to coat and sauté until onions are clear and tender. Push to the side, and make sure there is some oil on the pan floor. Add the apples and spread out into a single layer. Cook until golden on the sides and hot through. Remove onions and apples to a bowl and tent with foil to hold heat.

Film pan with oil, turn up to medium high, and when oil and almost smoking, add the turnips. Cook until the turnips are golden brown all over, with a little blistering here and there. When this happens, add in the onions and apples. Scatter with the chopped thyme and toss to mix in. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving dish.

Add the vinegar to the hot pan and scrape with a wooden spatula to loosen any bits on the pan floor (This is called the “fond” in French). Cook just until the vinegar starts reducing and thickening. Add the butter and lift the pan off the heat, swirling the pan to melt and incorporate the butter and form an emulsion style sauce. Return the pan to the heat, add the vegetables back to the pan and toss again to coat thoroughly. Cook a little to caramelize a little more if you wish, then taste for seasoning. Adjust if needed, and serve hot.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen