Turnips play an important role in Friulian cuisine, especially in the form called brovada—turnips that have fermented for several months, as a way to preserve them and to develop a pronounced and appetizing acidity. Brovada is incorporated in many dishes, grated and braised with sausages and other meats, in soups, or just as a tangy and healthful vegetable. This recipe, using fresh turnips, produces a side dish in the same vein as brovada, with distinctive acidity, well suited to accompany all sorts of cured and fresh meats. It is full of typical Friulian flavors, but you do not have to wait months for the turnip to ferment!

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1/2 pound thick bacon slices, cut crosswise in 1-inch pieces

　　1 onion sliced (1 cup)

　　4 plump garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

　　1 1/2 pounds white turnips, trimmed, peeled, cut in 1-inch chunks

　　1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks

　　1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

　　1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　1/4 cup water

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

　　

Recommended Equipment

A heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, 12-inch diameter or larger, with a cover

　　

Step 1

Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the big skillet, scatter in the bacon pieces, and set over medium-high heat. When the bacon starts to render fat, toss in the onion slices and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring and tossing, until the bacon is starting to crisp and the onion is just beginning to color.

　　

Step 2

Pile all the turnip and potato chunks in the pan, sprinkle with salt, and toss everything together well for a couple of minutes. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook for about 15 minutes, occasionally turning the turnips and potatoes over as they soften and start to color.

　　

Step 3

Stir together the vinegar, sugar, and 1/4 cup water. Push aside the vegetables to clear a space on the skillet bottom. Pour the vinegar into the hot spot, and as it sizzles, toss and turn the vegetables to moisten them. Spread the chunks in a layer filling the pan, cover, and cook for several minutes, until they’ve crisped on the bottom, then toss well and spread out again.

　　

Step 4

Cook, covered, tossing and spreading every 4 minutes or so, until the potatoes and turnips are tender to the bite and caramelized all over, about 15 minutes. Season with more salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve right from the skillet, or heap the chunks in a warm bowl. Drizzle over the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, toss in the chopped parsley, and serve hot.

　　From Lidia's Italy by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. Copyright (c) 2007 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. Published by Knopf.Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York.