Turnip Fries

Crisp cornmeal and buttermilk crust surrounds tender sliced turnips, making for a fantastic alternative to French fries. Take care when cutting the peeled turnips into ½-inch slices: it’s important to cut them as evenly as possible so they cook through at the same rate. You can cut them a day ahead of time and cover with a damp paper towel in the refrigerator. You can also make the cornmeal mixture ahead. This recipe requires shallow frying. Test to make sure the oil is ready by dropping in one turnip to fry first: the oil should bubble up and the test fry should be finished in about 5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (about 5 ¾ oz.) fine plain white cornmeal

• 1 cup (about 4¼ oz.) all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ¾ pound peeled turnips, cut into ?-inch-thick sticks

• 2 cups whole buttermilk

• Canola oil

• ½ cup ketchup

• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeds removed, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Nutrition

Fiber 3.64g

Calories 402.39

Sugar 16.61g

Fat 11.98g

Cholesterol 10.78mg

Sat Fat 2.50g

Iron 3.07mg

Sodium 1390.69mg

Protein 8.74g

Calcium 146.33mg

Carbohydrate 64.81g

Directions

1. Stir together cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss turnips in buttermilk; transfer to cornmeal mixture, and toss to coat. Shake off excess.

2. Pour canola oil to a depth of ¼ inch in a large skillet; heat over medium. Cook turnips, in batches, in hot oil, until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, stir together ketchup, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle fries with chives, and serve with ketchup mixture.

Yields: (serving size: 7 fries, 3 Tbsp. ketchup)