By Barbara Collins

I adore turnips with bacon, but I get fed up with just mashing them with butter and serving the bacon on the side. This is an interesting twist. I just layer it all into an ovenproof dish or pan and bring it straight to the table for a light-ish supper. It’s also a great side dish for a Sunday roast.

Ingredients

85g butter

6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

A large onion, finely sliced

11⁄2 kg turnips, peeled and sliced

100g mature cheddar, grated

Method

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Heat half of the butter in an ovenproof frying pan. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes, then add the thyme and onions, season and cook for a further 8-10 minutes until the onions are soft and golden. Scoop the onions into a bowl, leaving the buttery juices in the pan.

Off the heat, layer the sliced turnips in the pan with a scattering of fried onions, a sprinkling of cheese and some dots of butter between the layers. Season with a little salt and plenty of pepper as you go. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 1-11⁄4 hrs until the turnips are tender when prodded with the point of a knife. Dig in.

Tip

You could use dried thyme instead but be much more sparing. A few pinches will do.

Contact Barbara @thegoodchinaset or on collib40@googlemail.com.

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