Skirret

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Skirret; sium sisarum

Directions

Skirret is one of the many hardy perenniel vegetables which are typically grown as annuals. In Scotland it is known as crummock and in Germany as Zuckewurzel. A member of the carrot and parsley family, it is cultivated for the bunch of wrinkled, greyish roots that form from the crown. The roots have a sweet, tender white flesh which, when cooked like salsify or parsnips, is highly esteemed in oriental countries.

To prepare skirret for table, simply scrub the roots and cut them into suitable lengths for cooking. They can be boiled with a bit of salt and served, like salsify or parsnips, with butter. The roots can be stewed, braised, baked, batter-fried, or creamed. They are also delicious when mashed with potatoes or served with a cheese sauce.

Skirret can be grated or chopped and add to salads, or dressed in a vinegar marinade and served alone as salad. The flavor is described as very sweet and unusual, making this vegetable a fine ingredient in stews, curries and soups.

Source: "Unusual Vegetables: Something New for This Year's Garden" by the editors of Organic Gardening and Farming

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