Swede Mash (Rutabaga) with ginger, nutmeg and a little cream

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May 31, 2023 | 0 comments

What do you need to make swede (rutabaga) mash

cooked swede in a stainless steel saucepan.

breadcrumbs in a white dish on a blue striped tea towel.

garlic, ginger, nutmeg and chill in a white dish on a blue striped tea towel.

double cream in a white dish on a blue striped tea towel.

swede (rutabaga), about half a medium sized one
chilli (optional), I have lots and thought I’d pop one in with the swede, it didn’t seem to make much difference!
breadcrumbs. These are used both in the puree, and for the topping
double cream.
a little of any type of sugar, maple syrup etc. It just takes off a slightly bitter edge
fresh ginger. Fresh gives a completely different flavour to ground ginger. It can be kept in the freezer and grated whilst still frozen
nutmeg. You can definitely taste the nutmeg in this, so worth using. Please use whole nutmeg, freshly grated. The whole nutmegs keep for literally years, so are easy to have in. The ready ground stuff loses all flavour pretty quickly
crushed garlic
salt and pepper

How to make swede mash

Peel and dice swede and simmer with a sliced red chilli for half an hour until tender. Drain and reserve the water for future use
I used a food processor to mash it, but you could use a fork if you don’t have one

a stainless steel saucepan containing cooked cubes of swede.

a food processor containing processed cooked swede, cream and breadcrumbs .

a food processor containing processed cooked swede.

Now add half the breadcrumbs, double (heavy) cream, a little maple syrup (or any other sweetener) finely grated fresh ginger, a good grating of nutmeg, salt, black pepper and generous amounts of crushed garlic
Pile the swede mix in the middle and level off.
Sprinkle over the remaining half of the breadcrumbs
I drizzled olive oil over the top, but it is better without it

swede mash, ready to go in the oven, in pottery dish.

Bake in a moderate oven until brown and crisp
Or if the oven isn’t on for anything else, crisp it up under the grill

These images show the dish lined with cooked potato slices which worked really well. If you would like to make this version, oil the dish very well before putting the potato slices in or they will stick to the dish.

a pottery dish lined with cooked potato slices

I have not made that version again, and now use the swede mash on its own, without the potato. If you included the potato, the swede mash could be used more as a main course, with some green beans or broccoli.

What changes can I make?

change the swede to carrot
add some grated cheddar cheese for extra protein, especially if using as a main course
or use soft cheese, or a blue cheese
use more chilli, for more spicy heat
add curry spices for an Indian flavour
or five spice for an Asian twist