Pickled Turnips with Dill and Garlic
Turnips (a sadly underrated vegetable), make the perfect pickle; these ones, infused with fresh dill, Serrano chilis, and a touch of fennel seed, are particularly nice. We chopped them into a simple salad of farro and greens but, as Cortney and Nick say, they’re great in sauce, beef tartar, or eaten straight from the jar.
for the pickle:
6-8 large turnips, peeled and quartered
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch dill, smashed slightly by hand
8 cloves garlic, smashed
4 Serrano chilis, roughly chopped
ground black pepper, to taste (we used about ½ teaspoon)
fennel seed, to taste (we used about 2 teaspoons)
árbol chili, to taste (we used about 1 teaspoon)
1. To make the pickle, place prepared turnips and remaining ingredients in a large glass or ceramic jar (you might need a couple).
2. Next, make the brine; remember that you need enough brine to completely cover the vegetable, so amounts will vary depending on how big your turnips are. To make the brine, simply whisk 1 tablespoon of kosher salt into every 1 cup of water needed. Pour the brine over the turnips, top with a small plate or ceramic weight to keep the vegetables submerged, cover with a lid, and let sit in at room temperature (ideally between 60°F and 68°F) for at least 1 week and up to 3 weeks.
3. When the turnips are done fermenting, enjoy straight from the jar or chop into salads, beef tartare, or mayonnaise-based sauces like remoulade or tartar sauce. We like to cook them briefly with mushrooms and serve over charred pork shoulder steaks.
Originally featured in Getting Our Fermentation On
