French fries are one of those snacks that can please anyone in a crowd, especially children.
But what if you don’t eat potatoes or you’re looking for a different recipe to switch things up?
Then my tasty, crowd pleasing rutabaga french fries recipe just might be the option you’ve been looking for.
But before we get to the recipe, you might be asking yourself a few questions like…
What the heck is a rutabaga?
A rutabaga is a root vegetable and can be cooked in place potatoes in most recipes.
Both the roots and the leaves are edible.
In some stores you’ll find them labeled as rutabagas while others will label them turnips, though they are actually a hybrid between a cabbage and turnip, according to this article from DifferenceBetween.net.
How do you peel this crazy thing?
While I’ve seen lots of crazy videos on the internet claiming that a rutabaga needs special equipment to peel and cut (things like a saw or hatchet), I think that’s absolutely crazy.
If I can peel and cut one, you should be able to without a problem too!
I suffer from some strength issues in my extremities since having brain surgery, but even I can conquer a rutabaga in the kitchen! And even though it’s an awkward size and is hard to work with, it can be done with some patience.
I simply peel the rutabaga with a vegetable peeler, sometimes having to go around the outside of it twice with the peeler, depending on how thick the skin is and whether or not it is from the store and coated in wax.
Once I’ve finished peeling the softball sized vegetable, I start the cutting.
Basically, I turn the rutabaga into a square, by cutting the sides off.
After that, I further slice the remaining square of the rutabaga into more squares.
Once that’s done, I slice or dice into the shapes that I want and get to cooking.
Sound easy enough? If you’re still not sure or having trouble, let me know and I’ll post a video tutorial for you!
What you’ll need to gather:
- 1 large rutabaga
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp summer savory
- 1/ tsp sage
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- sea salt (to taste)
Rutabaga french fries cooking directions:
- Peel rutabaga & slice into preferred french fry size.
- Heat olive oil in skillet until it begins to pop & add rutabaga slices.
- Add remaining ingredients & cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure rutabagas are cooked evenly.
- Cook until rutabagas turn brown & become crisp on the outside.
Yes, duplicating my recipe really is that easy! And it makes a great anytime snack or a healthy side dish to compliment any meal.
