Root vegetable dauphinoise
- Prep: 15m
- Cook: 45m
- Serves: 6
This is a great side dish to accompany ham but you can also make it a filling vegetarian main by replacing the parmesan with a vegetarian alternative. Vary the types of root vegetables as you please, just make sure you have the same ratio of vegetable to liquid. And replace the beetroot if unlike me, you don’t enjoy the pink hue it brings.
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 210°C / 190°C fan / gas mark 6 ½.
- Gently heat the milk and cream in a saucepan with the thyme, nutmeg, garlic, bay and a pinch of salt. Once it begins to steam, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel the root vegetables and cut them into thin slices, approximately 3mm thick.
- Use some of the butter to grease the inside of a lasagne dish. Arrange the beetroot slices in the bottom of the dish, overlapping them and fitting them into the corners. Dot a few dabs of butter on top. Now do the same with the carrots, adding butter on top. Then, you’ve guessed it, repeat with the parsnips and then top with the celeriac (no need to butter the top of this final layer).
- Strain the infused milk and cream mixture and pour it over the root vegetables. Scatter the parmesan and breadcrumbs on top then bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and you can skewer the vegetables with a knife without any resistance.
Ingredients
All to be sourced organic where possible
- 300ml whole milk
- 300ml double cream
- 1 sprig of thyme
- ¼ nutmeg, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 250g beetroot
- 400g parsnips
- 400g celeriac
- 300g carrots
- 50g butter
- 50g parmesan, grated (or vegetarian alternative)
- 25g breadcrumbs
