Parsnip Gratin with Gruyere and Thyme

By: The Food Hunter

This is seriously one of the best vegetable side-dishes I've ever eaten. I stumbled across this delicious recipe, on Feasting at Home, while surfing the internet, late one night. I served it along side a juicy filet and it undoubtedly stole the show.

Parsnip Gratin with Gruyere and Thyme

2 ¼ -2 ½ lbs Parsnips
1 medium onion- yellow, thinly sliced
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 T Fresh Thyme, minced
1 T Flour
3 large minced cloves garlic
6 -8 ounces, grated gruyere cheese (I used a mix of gruyere and cheddar)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Peel and slice parsnips to 1/8 thin. The thinner the slices the faster this will bake. Grate the cheese using a box grater.

Generously grease a 9 x13 inch baking dish with butter.

Layer the parsnips and onion with 2/3 of the cheese and 2/3 of the thyme -saving the rest for the top- and reserving the more perfect pieces of parsnips for the final top layer. Press down and make sure layers are even. It’s OK if the inside layers are messy. Place the last layer of parsnip slices in nice looking overlapping rows.

In a small pot, heat 3 Cups heavy whipping cream. Whisk in salt, nutmeg, the remaining thyme, pepper, flour and the garlic and when it just comes to a simmer, pour over the layered parsnips, slanting the baking dish to get the cream in all the nooks and crannies.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, a few more leaves of thyme and a little sprinkling of nutmeg. Cover securely with a lid or foil and bake for 50-60 minutes on the middle rack until parsnips are fork tender.

Once fork tender, remove foil and bake another 15 minutes uncovered , or until golden and bubbly. It is important to let it sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes before serving, so it sets up and thickens.
This can be made in advance and reheated before serving.