Purée de Navets (Turnip Purée)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •3-quart heavy saucepan with lid
• •20 cm or 8-inch fine-mesh sieve, or a food mill fitted with its fine disk
• •Flexible spatula or sturdy wooden spoon
• •Potato masher

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables

   Peel the turnips deeply enough to remove any fibrous skin, then cut them into even 5 mm slices. Cut the potato into 2 cm pieces. Even cutting matters because the turnips must become completely tender at the same moment; a firm slice will fight the sieve and leave fibers in the purée.

2. 2

   Make the potato binder

   Put the potato in a 3-quart saucepan with 2 cups (480 ml / 480 g) of the water and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until every piece yields immediately to the point of a knife. Drain thoroughly, return the potato to the dry pan over low heat for 30 seconds, then pass it through the fine-mesh sieve or mash it perfectly smooth. Beat in 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of the butter and cover. You need roughly ½ cup of smooth, dry mash, though the turnips may not require all of it. Don't use a blender or food processor; worked too hard, the potato turns gluey.

3. 3

   Étuver the turnips

   Étuver, to cook gently under a lid with butter and little liquid, is the method here. Wipe the saucepan dry and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) butter over medium-low heat. Add the turnips, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the sugar. Turn them through the butter for 2 minutes without letting them brown, then add ¾ cup (180 ml / 180 g) water and cover. Cook at a quiet simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the slices collapse under a spoon. If the pan dries before they are tender, add the reserved water 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) at a time and lower the heat. Ça se rattrape. Once tender, uncover and cook until the remaining water has evaporated and the turnips wear only a glossy coat of butter.

   Keep the turnips pale. Browning would bring a roasted flavor and muddy color, while this purée depends on the clean, faintly peppery sweetness of turnip gently enclosed with butter.
4. 4

   Pass through the sieve

   Set the fine-mesh sieve over a heatproof bowl and press the hot turnips through with a flexible spatula, working firmly until only dry fibers remain. Scrape the smooth purée from the underside of the sieve. If the turnip resists and leaves damp, substantial pieces behind, it is undercooked. Return it to the pan with 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) of the reserved water, cover for another 5 minutes, then try again. Never apologize at your own table. Finish the cooking and the sieve will do its work.

5. 5

   Add potato with restraint

   Return the turnip purée to the clean saucepan over low heat. If it slumps or releases moisture, stir it alone for 1 to 3 minutes before adding any potato; excess water should leave through gentle heat, not be buried under starch. Fold in ¼ cup (60 ml / about 55 g) of the mashed potato, then assess the texture and taste. Add more by the tablespoon only until the purée rests in a soft mound and holds the trail of the spoon, stopping before you reach ½ cup if the potato begins to show itself. If the purée remains loose, keep stirring over low heat and reassess before adding another spoonful. Ça se rattrape. Once you can taste potato, only more turnip can restore the balance, so stop early.

   The correct texture is supple, not sliceable. Potato gives the turnip enough body to sit beside a roast without running into the juices, but it should never turn the purée into ordinary mashed potatoes.
6. 6

   Serve while supple

   Spoon the purée into a warmed serving dish and draw shallow ridges across the surface so its butter sheen catches the light. Serve immediately with roast duck, beef, lamb, or glazed ham. The flavor should arrive as turnip first, buttery and gently sweet, with no separate taste of potato. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose small or medium turnips that feel heavy and firm, with smooth skins. Large roots can be woody or strongly bitter; if those are what the market offers, peel them generously and cook until they yield without the least resistance.
• •Very good mashed potato here means dry, smooth, and buttery, not loose with milk or cream. Its job is structure. Begin with ¼ cup and expect to stop before ½ cup.
• •A fine-mesh sieve is the honest home equivalent of the tammy. A fine-disk food mill also works, but a blender is not an equivalent once potato enters the mixture; it overworks the starch and spoils the texture.
• •This purée belongs beside rich roast meats because the turnip's sweet, faintly bitter edge cuts through butter, gravy, and browned fat. It is particularly good with duck, lamb, or holiday ham.

Advance Preparation

• •The completed purée can be made 1 day ahead. Press parchment directly against its surface, cool promptly, and refrigerate. Reheat over low heat, stirring often, with 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml / 15 to 30 g) water only if it has tightened.
• •For holiday service, hold the finished purée for up to 1 hour in a covered heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Stir every 15 minutes so the edges remain as supple as the center.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)