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Pan-fried gnocchi and turnips with miso butter

Tender, pearly golf ball sized hakurei turnips are mellow and juicy and perfect for eating raw, I also love them pan-fried to unlock their sweetness. Turnips do well with a buttery, sharp sauce, and I particularly like it with miso to bring a heavy rounded sweet-savoury edge that balances their slight bitterness.

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A white bowl filled with cooked leafy greens, chunks of tofu, and sprinkled with sesame seeds on a marble surface.

When preparing small turnips, I like to give them a good wash and then trim them, leaving a little tuft of stalk – this has a lot of flavour and also adds texture to the dish. If your turnip tops are healthy, add them to the salad as fresh leaves (mine were wilted and discoloured so I discarded). Red radishes (the standard variety round ones) are a natural substitute for hakurei turnips and they can be used interchangeably here.

The dressing is made with just melted butter, miso and garlic, emulsified with a little water. It is salty and potent, a versatile sauce that is great for drizzling over roasted veggies or salads too.

Pan-fried gnocchi and turnips with miso butter

Serves

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil
340 g frozen, chilled or vacuum-sealed shelf stable gnocchi (gluten free is fine)
sea salt and black pepper
180 g hakurei turnips or radishes, trimmed and halved
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 bunch kale (about 275g / 10-ounces), leaves picked and torn
coriander/cilantro leaves, to serve
toasted white sesame seeds, to serve

Miso butter dressing

2 tablespoons vegan or dairy butter, salted or unsalted
1 tablespoon white (shiro) miso paste
1 garlic clove, finely grated (I used microplane)
sea salt, if needed and black pepper

Instructions

Make the dressing: Place the butter into a heatproof bowl and heat in a microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to melt. Add the miso and whisk well to break up the paste - it might take a while to dissolve the paste so be patient. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of water and whisk again to emulsify. Taste and season with salt, if needed, and lots of black pepper.
Heat a medium skillet on medium high heat for 2 minutes. When hot, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and add the gnocchi, and season with salt and pepper. Shake the pan and toss the gnocchi to coat in the oil and then leave to cook undisturbed for 1 minute, to get nice and charred on the bottom. Repeat this process a few times until the gnocchi is golden and crispy all over, about 4to 5 minutes in total. Transfer to a bowl and place the skillet back on medium high heat.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add the turnips (or radishes), season with salt and pepper and toss for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, toss to coat and then cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until the turnips are golden, juicy and tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the same bowl as the gnocchi and return the skillet to medium heat.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the skillet and add the kale, tossing constantly to encourage the mound to cook down. Season with salt and pepper and continue tossing until the kale has wilted and some leaves have starting to turn golden and crispy, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to the same bowl as the gnocchi and turnips.
Add the miso butter dressing to the bowl with the gnocchi, turnips and kale and toss to combine.
To serve, top with coriander/cilantro leaves and sesame seeds. Best eaten warm.