recipe contributor
Pierre Lamielle

Turnip the champ

Excerpt from Kitchen Scraps

Ireland has strong traditions when it comes to potatoes and to fighting. Traditional Irish Champ is made with mashed potatoes, spring onions, and butter. So when you introduce a dish that takes the potato out of a national Irish dish, there’s going to be some fisticuffs. But turnip, the great white hope, is poised to knock out the spud and take the belt as the new reigning champ.

INGREDIENTS 

PROCEDURE 

Peel the turnip, cut in half, and place in a pot. Cover with plenty of cold water and lots of salt (enough to make the water taste like the ocean). Bring water to a rapid boil over high heat, and boil until the turnips turn tender.

While they boil, thinly slice the spring or green onions all the way from white to green.

Drain the turnips in a colander, and transfer back into the pot. Mash immediately, and add half the butter and all the white and half the green parts of the onion, mixing it in evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Scoop them into a big bowl or directly onto individual plates. On each plate, make a small well in the top of each pile. Plop a bit o’ butter into each well, and allow it to melt before gobbling. Top with the remaining spring or green onion for garnish.

Serves 4 and gets along well with salmon and lemon juice.