By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(97)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This is adapted from a Richard Olney recipe. Even in winter it is possible to find turnips that are not fibrous or spongy. (Those, Mr. Olney says, should be relegated to the soup pot.) Look for hard medium-size or small turnips.
Featured in: Recipes for Health: Turnips: Versatile and Nutritious in Any Season
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings.
- 1pound firm medium-size or small turnips
- Salt
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 6eggs
- 1tablespoon milk
- Freshly ground pepper
- ½cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1ounce imported black olives, pitted and chopped, about ⅓ cup (optional)
- 1 or 2garlic cloves, minced or puréed (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
134 calories; 9 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 318 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Peel the turnips and grate on the large holes of a box grater or with a food processor. Salt generously and leave to drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Take up handfuls and squeeze tightly to rid the turnips of excess water.
Step
2
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-low heat in a wide saucepan or skillet and add the turnips and the thyme. When the turnips are sizzling, cover and cook gently, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until they are tender. If they begin to stick to the pan or brown, add a tablespoon of water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Step
3
Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley, chopped olives and garlic. Add the turnips and mix together.
Step
4
Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy 10-inch skillet, preferably nonstick. Hold your hand above it; it should feel hot. Drop a bit of egg into the pan, and if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with a spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Once a few layers of egg have cooked during the first couple of minutes of cooking, turn the heat down to very low, cover (use a pizza pan if you don’t have a lid that will fit your skillet) and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time, remove the lid and loosen the bottom of the frittata with a spatula, tilting the pan, so that the bottom doesn’t burn.
Step
5
Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler, not too close to the heat, for 1 to 3 minutes, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn’t burn (at most, it should brown very slightly and puff under the broiler). Remove from the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn’t sticking and allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes (the frittata is traditionally eaten warm or at room temperature). Loosen the edges with a spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut into wedges or into smaller bite-size diamonds. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.
Tip
- Advance preparation: In Mediterranean countries, flat omelets are served at room temperature, which makes them perfect do-ahead dishes. They'll keep in the refrigerator for a few days, and they make terrific lunchbox fare. They do not reheat well.
Ratings
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out of 5
97
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Cooking Notes
tdalec
Turnips always remind me of my grandparents' farm just west of Rochester on the canal. In the winter, they had a root cellar full of vegetables. And peppery turnips were a great treat on a cold snowy day. Not so much mashed rutabaga.
And it's cold and snowy today here in Kentucky. "A great day for this", one of the family said. But the consensus around the table was dill rather than thyme and a slug of feta. I'll do that next time.
David S
Turned out too salty. I think it was because of the instruction to heavily salt the grated turnips and let them sit for 30 minutes. Even though the recipe didn't say to do so, I tried to rinse the excess salt off the turnips but I don't think I did a thorough enough job. Meanwhile, I am curious about the purpose of this step: How would the frittata turn out if you skipped it?
ljeanne
We liked this! Did not have quite enough turnips, so added a few grated baby zucchini to make up the vegetable portion, salting and resting them and squeezing out excess water as instructed. Used 3/4 t dried thyme in place of fresh. Made in a Spanish tortilla pan instead of under the broiler. The olives and garlic are key. Very good!
Empow
Very tasty. Really can't taste the turnips once they are grated and incorporated.
danvillerose
Agree with adding grated cheese. Also sautéed some chopped onions and turnip greens too to add in with the eggs. Used basil bc I had it. Re the turnips - I’d received hakurai turnips in my CSA produce box (they’re beet-sized white globes), sliced them thinly, salted just a bit, based on others’ comments. Used a cast iron skillet and finished under broiler, per directions. Excellent!
Tess
Add some cheese, like a nice Gruyère - you won’t regret it.
Sonny LeRoi
Be sure to rinse the salt from the turnips!I used cilantro instead of parsley and it was a mistake. Next time I think I will sauté turnip greens with garlic, chop them pretty fine, and substitute for the parsley. I am always looking for ways to use turnip and beet greens.
Jessica
Rinsed and squeezed turnips after letting sit w/ salt. Added feta and chopped beet greens in place of parsley. which was a little watery. Dry out the turnips/greens more thoroughly before mixing in w/ eggs (no need for tbsp of milk or water). used 2 different burners when switching to low heat so the bottom didn't brown too much.
sarah
Based on other reviews, I went easy on the salt. Added some arugula and a couple strips of chopped bacon and we both loved it!
Kathy
Actually quite tasty — watched the salt, did not have olives — and a way to use up turnips in the CSA box! (Did not broil, but flipped towards the end to cook the top.)
ljeanne
We liked this! Did not have quite enough turnips, so added a few grated baby zucchini to make up the vegetable portion, salting and resting them and squeezing out excess water as instructed. Used 3/4 t dried thyme in place of fresh. Made in a Spanish tortilla pan instead of under the broiler. The olives and garlic are key. Very good!
Marcus
One-note, a bit bland. Shanti liked it. Did not have turnips sit in salt. Too long on stove stop made the bottom too dark. Next time move to oven fairly soon. Needs to be eaten with something ... sour cream, pico/ salsa, goat cheese, etc. Tastes similar to a potato frittata.
BK
I love turnips, and I’ve had good luck with other M.R.S. recipes here, but I agree with David S that this was WAY too salty. So much so that there was no taste of turnips! I will try again, salting lightly instead of “generously” and report back.Or maybe M.R.S. could specify the amount of salt ... I suspect her idea of generous is stingier than mine.
NCS
This recipe helped me learn that I don’t like turnips very much. I added about 1/4 cup of Parmesan to the egg mixture but more cheese may be the answer.
David S
Turned out too salty. I think it was because of the instruction to heavily salt the grated turnips and let them sit for 30 minutes. Even though the recipe didn't say to do so, I tried to rinse the excess salt off the turnips but I don't think I did a thorough enough job. Meanwhile, I am curious about the purpose of this step: How would the frittata turn out if you skipped it?
tdalec
Turnips always remind me of my grandparents' farm just west of Rochester on the canal. In the winter, they had a root cellar full of vegetables. And peppery turnips were a great treat on a cold snowy day. Not so much mashed rutabaga.
And it's cold and snowy today here in Kentucky. "A great day for this", one of the family said. But the consensus around the table was dill rather than thyme and a slug of feta. I'll do that next time.
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