Soups & Starters
Side Dishes & Canapes
Creamy Parsnip Gratin - A Trio of Side Dishes - No. 3
This is the second recipe in my Trio of Side Dishes. The other recipes are Warming Red Cabbage and Sesame Broccoli.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 4 large parsnips, peeled and sliced into rings
- 300ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- Half a 200g tub half-fat crème fraiche
- 350ml milk
- Good slug of marsala wine or sherry
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Several sprigs of fresh thyme
- Handful of grated parmesan (or cheddar)
- Handful of flaked almonds
Method
Cook the parsnip rings in the stock for about 7 minutes until very tender, then drain them. (Keep the stock - it makes a great base for a soup the next day.) Meanwhile, fry the onion and garlic in a little oil. Spoon the parsnip, onion and garlic into an ovenproof dish (or dishes), then mix the crème fraiche, milk, marsala, mustard and thyme together and pour over. Sprinkle with parmesan and almonds and bake at 180C (fan oven) for about 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
A Cook's Plot Tip
You can make this the day before and keep it, covered, in the fridge until you're ready to cook it. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the water when you cook the parsnips as that will prevent them turning brown while they are in the fridge.