Roasted Hakurei Turnips
Ingredients
For the Roasted Hakurei Turnips
- 1 pound hakurei turnips, without tops
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Thinly sliced scallion and toasted sesame seeds for garnish
- Prune Hoisin Sauce
For the Prune Hoisin Sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup chopped sweet onion
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- 3 ounces Mariani California Pitted Prunes
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons Chinese black bean sauce (*see cook’s note)
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 cup water
Instructions
For the Roasted Hakurei Turnips
- Wash the turnip roots and cut them into halves if small or quarters if large.
- Place the trimmed turnips on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat.
- Place in a 325F oven and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, just until tender.
- Remove from the oven, garnish with scallion and sesame, and serve with Prune Hoisin Sauce.
For the Prune Hoisin Sauce
- Serving: makes about 2 cups Prep time: approximately 45 minutes
- “Hoisin sauce is a thick, fragrant sauce used in Cantonese cuisine as a glaze for meat, or a sauce for roasted or stir-fried vegetables. This version is mostly sweetened naturally with prunes but has a little help from some molasses as well. You’ll love the funky, sweet, and salty play on the palette, and it compliments just about everything it touches.”
- Pour the sesame oil into a medium saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and salt and cook, stirring often for about 8 minutes. Add the five spice, prunes, rice vinegar, soy sauce and black bean sauce, molasses and water and stir well to combine. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 more minutes, to fully rehydrate the prunes. Transfer the ingredients to a blender and blend on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes until fully pureed into a smooth sauce. The sauce will naturally thicken from the pectins released by the dried fruit.
- *Cook’s note: Chinese black bean sauce is a condiment made from fermented black soy beans, and garlic Lee Kum Kee is a common brand seen at Asian markets, or available online at Bookksu Market.
- If you cannot find a good substitute, try miso, preferably a darker type like red or barley (as opposed to white or yellow, which have a more mild flavor)
