14th c French turnip recipe.
Turnips are hard and difficult to cook until they have been in the cold and frost; you remove the head, the tail and other whiskers and roots, then they are peeled, then wash in two or three changes of hot water, very hot, then cook in hot meat stock, pork, beef or mutton. Item, in Beausse, when they are cooked they are sliced and fried in a pan, and powdered spices thrown on. – Le Menagier de Paris
My Version
Turnips were peeled and washed in two or three changes of hot water to pull out any bitterness. The turnips were then put in a pot with enough beef stock to cover them. The stock was brought to a boil and the turnips were simmered on reduced heat until they were tender. The turnips were removed from the stock and allowed to cool a bit. Once cooled they were sliced and fried in a pan with a bit of oil to keep them from sticking. after frying the slices were tossed with salt and a ground spice mixture including coriander, cumin,and long pepper.
Sources
Le Menagier de Paris (France, 1393 – Janet Hinson, trans.)
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Menagier/Menagier.html