Spicy Turnips with Preserved Lemon
Andrew NapierAromatic and bright, this root pickle is a pop of sunshine on a chilly winter's day. It keeps well, thanks to a lemony, chile-forward marinade. Serve with grilled fish or tofu, or tuck into halved pita bread with all your favorite fillings.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp dried ancho chiles
- ½ tsp Aleppo chili flakes
- 2-4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp caraway seeds, toasted
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ lbs turnips, ends trimmed, left unpeeled
- 4 tbsp preserved lemon paste, or 6 tbsp preserved lemons, seeds removed, flesh and roughly chopped
- 1-2 tbsp cilantro, chopped, for serving
- finishing salt (such as J. Q. Dickinson), for serving
Preparation
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Put the ancho chiles in a small bowl and add enough boiling water just to cover fully. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Squeeze out some of the moisture from the chiles and set aside. Remove the stems, seeds, and any other part of the chiles that is still very firm and did not rehydrate. Reserve 2 tbsp of the soaking liquid.
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Transfer the ancho chile flesh to a food processor along with the Aleppo chili, garlic, cumin, cardamom, caraway, olive oil, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, preserved lemon, and salt. Blend into a paste, add the reserved soaking water, and blend again. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
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Bring a medium pan of salted water to a boil. Add the turnips and blanch for 3-5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to halt their cooking. Pat the turnips dry and cut into half-inch wedges.
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Stir the turnips wedges into the chile paste. Cover and leave to marinate for at least an hour. If marinating longer than 1 hour, transfer to the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature, topped with chopped cilantro and finishing sauce.
