Creamed Turnips

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 9 (1/3 lb) turnips
• 4 shallots
• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 black peppercorns
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• to taste pepper
• to taste nutmeg, freshly grated
• to taste fresh parsley leaves, chopped (for garnish)

Recipe

• 1 peel and quarter turnips. in a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook turnips until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, and drain in a colander.
• 2 in a heavy saucepan bring milk and cream just to a simmer and keep hot over low heat.
• 3 chop shallots. in a 4-quart heavy kettle cook shallots in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened.
• 4 add thyme, salt, peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, 1 minute. add flour and cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes.
• 5 whisk in hot milk mixture all at once and bring to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking occasionally, 15 minutes.
• 6 pour sauce through a sieve into a large heavy saucepan and discard solids.
• 7 into sauce stir pepper, nutmeg, and salt to taste. turnips and sauce may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and kept separately in bowls, covered and chilled.
• 8 return sauce to a simmer and add turnips. cook mixture, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until turnips are heated through.
• 9 garnish turnips with parsley.