Parsnip Dauphinoise with Gruyère and Thyme

Ingredients

• 900 g parsnips, peeled and sliced 3mm thick on a mandoline or with a sharp knife
• 400 ml double cream
• 150 ml whole milk
• 4 cloves garlic, 2 crushed, 1 halved for rubbing
• 6 fresh thyme, sprigs, leaves stripped from 4, 2 kept whole
• 120 Gruyère, finely gratedor use Comté or mature Cheddar
• 20 g unsalted butter, for greasing
• 1 pinch whole nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp white pepper, freshly ground

Contains: milk.

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional. Rub a 25cm x 20cm gratin dish thoroughly with the cut side of the halved garlic clove, then grease it generously with butter.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the double cream, milk, 2 crushed garlic cloves, the stripped thyme leaves, nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Bring gently to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced parsnips and stir to coat, then simmer for 8 minutes until the parsnips are just beginning to soften and the cream has thickened slightly.About 12 min
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer half the parsnip slices into the prepared gratin dish, layering them as evenly as you can. Scatter over half the Gruyère. Add the remaining parsnips, then pour over all of the cream mixture from the pan. Top with the remaining Gruyère and lay the 2 whole thyme sprigs across the top.About 5 min
4. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 25 minutes until the top is deep golden and bubbling, and a knife slides through the parsnips with no resistance.About 70 min
5. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving. This is not optional — the cream needs time to settle or the layers will slide apart when you serve it.About 10 min