Armored Turnips poll

[bunnyjadwiga]

I'm thinking of putting together a list of "easy to make medieval dishes" and I thought I'd start where I started, with Armored Turnips. For those who aren't familiar with them, they are a sort of turnip au gratin, or as some people have put it, turnips as cheese substrate.

Platina book 8
Cut up turnips that have been either boiled or cooked under the ashes.
Likewise do the same with rich cheese, not too ripe. These should be
smaller morsels than the turnips, though. In a pan greased with butter
or liquamen, make a layer of cheese first, then a layer of turnips,
and so on, all the while pouring in spice and some butter, from
time to time. This dish is quickly cooked and should be eaten quickly, too.

[Poll #1159629]

Comments

[paquerette.livejournal.com]

This is an awesome poll because I love armored turnips so very, very much. For the spices I picked what I usually do, but I'd be inclined to try some of the other stuff. I'm just not a keep medieval spices around the house kind of person, and I don't always know what to do with what I do have. Yet.

Also, I start with butter in the bottom to keep the initial turnip layer from sticking, but I chose turnip as the first layer.

Cheddar tastes good but I have heard that it is wrong. But I do it anyway, especially if we're just eating it at home. ;)

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

I second the motion of trying different spice combinations.

How much butter to use depends on which cheese[s] one plans to use.

Among the cheese I picked were Gouda and Swiss, which are probably wrong, but I like the way they taste with the turnips.

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

and Grains of Paradise.

[brambleberry.livejournal.com]

I second the GoP, and salt. But, really, which spices I use varies by the day and what else I'm serving at the meal. I like to vary my tastes, so what I use depends on what spices are in the other dishes.

[landverhuizer.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised at the low vote on the powder douce... when using real turnips (many people like rutabagas) you really need that sugar, of course I follow directly from Martino which suggests it. No sugar and it would be too bitter and of course, food should not be too bitter.
I find it serves better once the cheese has a moment to solidify.
Cheeses made round work better for layering, especially if it is being made in the round.

[flannelbutch.livejournal.com]

It's been hella long since I made armored turnips, so I don't remember precisely how I make them. However, I do remember that you make them exactly the way they should be. That's probably because the first armored turnips I had were yours, but regardless - however you make them is how the recipe should be. :)

[krings-keep.livejournal.com]

The past (and only) 2 times I have had armoured turnips - they were both at Aethelmaerc RP events, and the Queen loved armoured turnips prepared only *one* way....

ROCK HARD with a sauce that was shown a picture of a block of cheese.. If there was actual cheese in that sauce I would have been very surprised.

In fact one event the cook made the turnips in throw away pans so he could throw away the 99% uneated turnips.

I will try these rock hard nasty things only one more time.. and that is ONLY if someone I trust tells me they are not hard, they taste good, and I only have to have a teeny tiny fork full.

[landverhuizer.livejournal.com]

eww, that sounds nasty...

[krings-keep.livejournal.com]

It was..

It has taken me many years to get over the YUCK factor and maye,maybe think about trying them again.

My hubby says that turnips should be pre-cooked before being introduced to the cheese sauce.. maybe at another event I might give them a third try