Lyonnaise Navets ~ Lyonnaise Turnips

I learned to cook Lyonnaise Potatoes many years ago. An earthy French dish prepared simply with potatoes and onions, seasoned with a little garlic, salt, pepper and parsley, sauteed in butter. This was always a family favorite to accompany a roasted chicken or a grilled steak. It's been a long time since I've eaten them because they were so loaded with carbohydrates. I began to imagine preparing it with a vegetable other than potatoes. What I came up with was turnips. When treated properly turnips are sweet and tender. Turnips are low in carbs and contain fiber. They have replaced potatoes in this dish and it works perfectly. The humble turnip is very good at absorbing flavors and that holds true in this dish. I chose to use fresh thyme instead of parsley to give this dish my personal slant. This dish is wonderful for Thanksgiving but it is also great any other night you might have a few extra minutes. I hope you enjoy.

Lyonnaise Navets

Lyonnaise Turnips

Ingredients:

1 cup onions, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter + 2 Tbsp.

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped + 1 Tbsp.

2 tsp. garlic, minced

6 cups turnips, thinly sliced

1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken stock

salt and pepper

Saute the onions and garlic on very low heat in a combination of 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil in a large skillet. The olive oil not only adds a nice taste but it prevents the butter from burning. Season with salt and pepper if desired and add 1 tablespoon of the chopped thyme. This process takes time so that the onions and garlic become caramelized and not burned. Gently saute for about 20 minutes or until their color is golden brown and the onions are tender.

While the onions are slowly cooking place the sliced turnips into a large pot and fill with cold salted water. Bring to a boil on high heat and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain carefully so as not to break the turnip slices. Let cool a few minutes and place the turnips on paper towels to absorb the excess water, pat dry.

When the onions have caramelized nicely add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the turnips and sprinkle with the remaining thyme. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Turn the heat to medium high. Using a spatula gently combine the turnips and onions by flipping. Saute for about 10 minutes so the turnips begin to caramelize. Add the chicken stock and let it reduce until there is no more liquid. Continue to saute, moving the mixture occasionally with the spatula until the turnips are nicely browned and caramelized. This may take as long as 25 to 35 minutes. Handle the turnips gently because they are very tender and you want to keep the slices from breaking as much as possible.

Nutrition Facts

10 - 1/2 Cup Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 70.7

Total Fat 4.9 g

Saturated Fat 2.3 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g

Monounsaturated Fat 2.0 g

Cholesterol 9.3 mg

Sodium 83.7 mg

Potassium 191.1 mg

Total Carbohydrates 6.4 g

Dietary Fiber 1.7 g

Sugars 3.0

Protein 1.1 g