[Sca-cooks] Re: Rolls Recipe and a turnip question unto the group

[Phil Troy/ G. Tacitus Adamantius]

Also sprach Phlip:
>Marion skrev:
>
>>     Unto the list, I have a question. I have just tried
>>  a simple armored turnip recipe for layers of turnips,
>>  cheddar cheese, pepper, and mace,  baked until the
>>  cheese melted. While not a bad dish, it seems to lack
>>  whatever it is that causes the tongue to dance and
>>  ingredients to metamorphose to something more than
>>  their constituent parts. Does anyone have suggestions
>>  or recipes for turnips or armored turnips?
>
>Well, cheddar cheese is not only not provably period, but it's one of the
>ones which is hard to make dissolve without adding milk, and grating it. Why
>don't you try a softer, more flavorful cheese? Not quite sure what flavor
>you're looking for, but there are enough of them out there, that I'm sure
>you could find one that you REALLY like, that the bitterness of the turnips,
>and the sharpness of the pepper and the mace would combine better for you.

I should preface by saying I have _never_ made armored turnips.

But, 'Lainie seems to swear by Munster, and I'm thinking one of those
pale, nutty-flavored cheeses might go well, like Gouda (which I STR
is period) or some other Swiss-type, or maybe Fontina.

It also just occurred to me, and forgive me if this sounds like a
really dumb question, but are you using actual turnips and not
rutabagas? It might make a difference in the balance of sweet versus
bitter.

In general, my experience with gratins has been that you might want
to cook this dish slowly and for slightly longer than to just melt
the cheese. A little caramelization of the turnips sugar (their juice
is actually quite sweet), plus some browning of the cheese, may give
it that bit of complexity you may be seeking.

Adamantius

--
"No one who cannot rejoice in the discovery of his own mistakes
deserves to be called a scholar."
	-DONALD FOSTER