My grandfather was born in Finland and came to Canada with his family when he was 2. Eventually he married an English-Canadian girl who learned to make this from his stepmother. I have no idea how close it is to the authentic dish but it is a Markanen family tradition for Christmas dinner.
1. Place turnip in a large pot with enough water to cover.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cook turnip until it's very soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain well and return to pot.
3. Mash well. (My mother uses her electric mixer to beat it but I think it's better if it's not super smooth.)
4. Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, stirring and tasting after each addition. The turnip should taste a little bit too sweet.
5. Stir in the butter until melted and well mixed then add the beaten egg and mix well.
6. Add milk gradually while stirring. Mixture should be relatively sloppy, so add more if necessary.
7. Spoon turnip into a shallow casserole.
8. Melt butter and stir in bread crumbs. Sprinkle mixture evenly on top of the turnip.
9. Bake in a 350(F) degree oven for about 45 minutes, until crumb topping starts to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out cleanly.
Find any recipe, add your own, make grocery lists easily from recipes. Enter any 3 ingredients and BigOven will tell you what you can make. It's free! (4.5/5 stars)