Finnish Swede Bake

I apologize for the silly name, but really, that's what it is. This is a traditional Finnish dish, made from swede, or rutabaga. It's very tasty, and usually served as part of the christmas buffet. It goes particularly well with christmas ham. It's pretty sweet, so it's perfect with salty meats. And not just for christmas!

This recipe comes from Vajlet, who is my dad's ex-wife. She would always make it and bring when she spent christmas with us and a couple of years ago I insisted on the recipe. It's pretty vague - more of a sketch really - but it always turns out just fine.

Finnish Swede Bake

swede (rutabaga), about 2-300 g, peeled and in large pieces
2-3 carrots, peeled and in large pieces
2-3 tbsp milk
golden syrup
breadcrumbs
butter

Boil the swede and the carrots in lightly salted water. Drain when soft, and mash with the milk. Butter an oven proof dish, and pour the mashed veggies into it. Drizzle over golden syrup, and a thin, even layer of breadcrumbs. Put a couple of pats of butter on top.

The original instructions said to bake for quite a long time in quite a low temperature. I usually do it at 175°C for an hour or so. The breadcrumbs should be soft and golden.

Finsk Kålrotslåda