Mashed swede

Starter: Serves 4 Preparation time: 25 minutes

A fondness for swede stops just south of the Scottish border, where it undergoes a metamorphosis from a food held in the highest esteem, loved by the Scots as "neeps" to be twinned with "tatties", to one that is fit for consumption only by cattle.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the swede and simmer over a medium heat for about 20 minutes until tender.

Then drain into a sieve and leave for a minute or two for the surface water to evaporate. You could also steam it.

Place the swede in a liquidiser with the remaining ingredients and reduce it to a purée. This may well take a little work; the swede is a stubborn vegetable.

It shouldn't need sieving, but taste it to check that it's smooth and no longer fibrous. Transfer it to a serving bowl, make a small well in the centre and drop in the remaining knob of butter. Scatter over some chopped chives and serve.