Winter Vegetable Feast
Winter may not offer the wide diversity of vegetables available in other seasons, but it does have its own bounty and unique flavors to offer.
This rich and comforting dish is perfection on a cold winter’s night, pairing the bright herbal qualities of the celery root with the warmth of nutmeg and thyme. Pair it with a simple roasted chicken or pork, or it makes an excellent main dish on its own.
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1½ tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 2 medium celery roots, about 1 pound each, trimmed, peeled, and sliced paper thin
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- Fine sea salt
- White pepper
- Nutmeg
- ¾ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Preparation
In a small saucepan, combine the cream and garlic and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes to infuse the cream with the garlic flavor. Take off the heat and let it steep while you prepare the celery root.
Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 3500. Generously grease a 3-qt shallow baking or gratin dish with butter. Layer a quarter of the celery root slices in the prepared dish in tight overlapping rows being sure to cover the bottom completely. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan, a big pinch of thyme, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir the cream and gently pour about ¼ cup over the top. Repeat the layers until all of the celery root is used. You should have four layers, but a little more or less won’t hurt. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. (The gratin can be made up to this point and left to sit for up to two hours before baking.)
Bake the gratin until the celery root is tender when pierced with a knife and the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 1 hour. Uncover and sprinkle with Gruyere evenly on the top. Bake for about another 20 minutes. Allow the gratin to rest for 10 minutes before serving, and I like to put a bit of fresh thyme on the top.
Adapted from Roots By Diane Morgan
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