Swede

How to store Swede

Swede should keep for a month or even longer in the fridge, although as the weeks go on it won’t be quite so flavoursome.

Prep & Cooking tips

Wash well. Remove a slice from the top and bottom to give you a flat and stable surface to work from. You can use a peeler to remove the skin but it is often easier to use a sharp knife and follow the natural curve from top to bottom, turning and repeating until clean.

Cut into generous chunks for roasting, boiling and mashing, or thin slices for gratins. Perfect with plenty of pepper and butter. It rarely makes a lump free mash, so embrace the rustic texture. The colour will darken to an earthy orange as it cooks. It can also be eaten raw as part of a slaw or rémoulade.

Easy ideas

1. Mashed

Peel and boil until soft. Mash coarsely with plenty of butter, white pepper and nutmeg. It doesn’t give itself to a smooth purée so don’t even bother – revel in its rusticity. Perfect with haggis and/or roast beef. Try a mash of half swede, half carrot for something a little sweeter and sturdier.

2. Baked

Peel and finely slice. Mix with plenty of slow cooked onions and butter. Season well and press into a roasting tray or gratin dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 mins before finishing uncovered until golden and tender. Any leftovers can be fried the next day and served with bacon and a poached egg for breakfast.

3. Pasty

Never forget the swede’s place in the mighty pasty. Along with potatoes and onions it makes up the triumvirate of veg to go with diced beef skirt, salt and plenty of pepper.

Goes well with

Herbs (Dill, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme)

Sweet spices (Anise, Nutmeg)

Bacon

Beef

Carrot

Dairy

Pork

Rabbit

White and black pepper