TGIFOOD

TGIFOOD

Lockdown Recipe of the Day: Sweet Potato & Turnip Bake

Lockdown Recipe of the Day: Sweet Potato & Turnip Bake
Sweet potato and turnip bake with fresh ginger and thyme. (Photo: Tony Jackman)

When the dying winter decides to have one more burst of cold before allowing the summer in, it’s time for another alternative to the ubiquitous potato bake.

Ingredients

3 or 4 large turnips, sliced into slim scallops

4 to 6 sweet potatoes (I used the type with orange flesh), peeled and sliced thinly (I used six because they were rather small)

1 large medium onion, halved and sliced thinly

2 or 3 cloves garlic, chopped finely

3 Tbsps grated fresh ginger

Thyme sprigs

500 ml cream

500 ml stock (chicken or vegetable)

Plenty of salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with milk

Butter to dot over each layer and more for greasing the oven dish

Method

Have your turnips, onions and sweet potatoes prepared in slices before you start. Grease a deep, large oven dish with butter. Start with a layer of turnip scallops (rounds about 0.5 cm thick) to cover the bottom. Salt all over. Dot with small knobs of butter here and there. Place onion rings all over, about a quarter of the quantity you’ve prepared. Sprinkle chopped garlic over. Sprinkle grated ginger over. Drop in a few thyme sprigs. Add a layer of sweet potatoes, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Repeat the above layering (turnips, salt, butter, onion, garlic, thyme, ginger, sweet potatoes, salt and pepper) until all used up, ending with a layer of sweet potatoes at the top, if it’s the orange variety (because it looks good).

Heat the stock and cream together in a pot. Stir in the cornstarch mixed with milk and allow to thicken for a minute or two while stirring. Pour it over the contents of the oven dish to cover the ingredients. If it is shy of the top of the upper layer, add milk until it is sufficient.

Bake in a preheated 200℃ oven for 90 minutes (more if required) or until done. Some ovens may need a slightly lower temperature of 180 to 190. DM/TGIFood

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