Turning your nose up when turnips are mentioned on a restaurant menu, in a recipe, or appear on your plate, maybe this duck recipe from Rachel's Irish Family Food (Harper Collins, February 2013) by Rachel Allen will change your mind.

Irish still eat turnips as Rachel reminds us. You should also try her Barmbrack Speckled Loaf for St. Patrick's Day.

Pot Roasted Duck Legs with Onions and Root Vegetables

This is the food I love to serve on a wintery weekend evening when friends are over. It's a dish for an easy going dinner party, to serve with plenty of red wine and lots of laughter.

Turnips are eaten less around the world, but we still eat them here in Ireland. There are large sweet turnips, but I prefer the small white ones because they are more refined in flavor and are particularly at home with duck or goose.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 60 to 75 minutes

Ingredients:

1 and a half teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

4 duck legs, excess fat removed, but with the skin left on

4 onions, halved through the root, each half cut lengthwise into 4 wedges

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 baking or russet (floury) potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 quarter inch (2 cm) dice

6 small white turnips, peeled and cut into half to three quarter inch (1-2 cm) dice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit (200 Centigrade, Mark 6)

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the duck legs, skin side down, followed by the onions, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the skin is a rich golden brown. Tip in the potatoes and turnips and cover with a lid.

Roast in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and a quarter, by which time the onions should be golden and the root vegetables and duck cooked through and tender.

(* Recipe from Rachel's Irish Family Food by Rachel Allen- Harper Collins, February 19, 2013- reproduced with permission)