To Mash Turnips

Ingredients

• 3 lbs turnips
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 1.5 oz fresh butter
• nearly 1/2 pint cream or new milk
• white pepper or cayenne

Instructions

1. Pare the turnips and split them once or even twice if large.
2. Boil them until very tender.
3. Press out the water thoroughly using two trenchers or the back of a large plate and one trencher.
4. Pass them through a colander or coarse hair-sieve with a wooden spoon to ensure smoothness, or work them smooth by hand if quite young.
5. Put them into a clean saucepan and stir constantly for some minutes over a gentle fire to make them very dry.
6. Add salt, fresh butter, and cream or milk.
7. Continue to simmer and stir for five or six minutes longer, or until they have absorbed all the liquid.
8. Serve as hot as possible.