A traditional recipe for today, pan-fried turnips or rave in tecia, a traditional Venetian recipe. An ideal side dish for the winter season when all types of tubers are readily available.
As I often say, we here in Italy are lucky because our climate offers a huge variety of vegetables and greens. But if we think about Northern countries, where winter and cold last for several months, they know how to make better use of these healthy vegetables than we do.
Today we talk about turnips and similar tubers, splendid healthful vegetables. Turnips and the like give energy to the plant of which they are the roots, thus also providing us with their riches.
Turnips were cultivated all year long even in the time of the Greeks. Its name is Brassica rapa, from the family Brassicaceae, originating from the Mediterranean coasts and Western Asia. Often this type of turnip is also found with purple streaks. Tender and delicate, it is widely used in winter here in Northern Italy.
Sometimes I like to remember the flavors of childhood when my mother prepared pan-fried turnips or as she called them rave in tecia.
This recipe of Trentino origin (probably Austrian) arrived in Veneto during the Lombardo-Veneto Empire. An ancient recipe of popular tradition, the turnip was a poor vegetable widely used in those times of scarcity. Only those who could afford it added pancetta or lard, which I have omitted. The recipe is also known as Trentino-style turnips.
Here are some recipes with turnips & Co that might interest you:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Veneto
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for Pan-fried Turnips Rave in Tecia
- 1 horseradish
- 2 turnip (white)
- 1 shallot
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon herbs
- 2 leaves bay
How to Prepare Pan-fried Turnips
Peel the turnips and horseradish after washing them well and boil them in a little water for 30 minutes.
Cut the turnips and horseradish into strips.
In a pan, sauté a chopped shallot in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, add the herbs, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar.
Also add the turnips, salt, and cook on low heat for about ten minutes or more, stirring occasionally. In the last few minutes, slightly increase the heat to form a golden crust. Taste to ensure the turnips are cooked but not mushy.
Serve as a side dish with legumes and cereals.
Tips and Variations
Cooked turnips can be stored in a well-sealed airtight container until the next day.
You can vary the type of tuber, try with daikon, carrots, or red turnips. You can prepare the recipe with only white turnips.
