|
Gratin of Parsnip and Potato
If you’ve ever made scalloped potatoes, you’ll have
noticed the milk used to cook them often curdles. This
gratin evades the problem by first cooking the vegetables
in milk, then finishing them luxuriously in cream!
Serves 6
-
2 to 3 medium baking potatoes (about 3/4 pound)
-
3/4 pound parsnips
-
3 cups milk, more if needed
-
pinch of grated nutmeg, more to taste
-
salt and pepper to taste
-
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, more if needed
-
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
-
1/2 cup
grated Gruyère
cheese
9 x 13-inch gratin or shallow baking dish
Peel the potatoes and cut them in 1/8-inch slices,
preferably using a mandoline. Peel the parsnips, quarter
them if large and slice them. Put each vegetable in a
separate saucepan with half the milk, nutmeg, pepper, and
a little salt. Stir to mix and bring them to a boil. If
necessary, add more milk to cover. Simmer both vegetables,
stirring occasionally, until they are just tender, 10 to
15 minutes.
Drain both vegetables, reserving the milk for another use
such as soup. Wipe out one of the saucepans and return
both vegetables to the pan with the cream and garlic. Heat
gently and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the
vegetables are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. The slices
break up easily, so stir carefully. The mixture should be
quite creamy and liquid, not stiff, so if necessary stir
in more cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning, including
nutmeg. Pour the vegetables with the cream into the baking
dish, spreading them evenly, and sprinkle the top with the
grated cheese.
To finish: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the
gratin until the top is golden brown and the edges are
bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.
Getting ahead: A perfect dish for a party, parsnip
and potato gratin can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and
refrigerated, ready to bake and brown just before serving.
Allow up to 30 minutes to give the vegetables time to
reheat as well as brown.
Recipe from
The Good Cook: 70 Essential Techniques
×
250 Step-by-Step Photographs
×
350 Easy Recipes
By Anne
Willan (Stewart, Tabori & Chang: October 2004;
$40.00/Hardcover; ISBN: 1-58479-328-7). |
