Recipe courtesy of Nourish and Flourish
Ingredients
- 2 long sweet potatoes, peeled
- 4 large parsnips, ends trimmed and peeled
- 5 medium beets, peeled
- 2½ cups heavy cream (whole milk or half and half is fine but won’t thicken as much or be as creamy)
- 1 cup grated parmesan, divided
- 1 tbsp finely chopped thyme, divided, plus more for garnish
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup shredded Gruyère
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Pat of butter
Instructions
Equipment
Big Green Egg 10 inch Cast Iron Skillet
Method
Set the EGG for indirect cooking with a convEGGtor at 400°F
Spread the pat of butter and olive oil in the cast iron skillet. Slice sweet potatoes, parsnips, and beets into thin rounds, using a mandolin, slicing blade or a food processor; transfer each vegetable to its own bowl.
Pour ⅔ cup of cream over each bowl of vegetables and top each with 2 tablespoons of parmesan and 1 teaspoon of thyme. Season each bowl generously with salt and pepper and toss until all slices are well coated.
Pour remaining cream into a small bowl with the minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of the parmesan and mix well. Pour into the bottom of the prepared skillet.
Take a stack of the sweet potatoes and line the inner edge of the skillet tightly, overlapping slices until a complete circle is formed. Continue with the other vegetables, alternating by color, to create the floral pattern.
Season the top of the gratin with salt and pepper and remaining parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and knife inserts easily. Remove from the EGG, top with Gruyère and put the skillet back onto the EGG until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme.
Serves 6-8
This definitely needs t be made as instructed and not deviate. I deviated and it was a disaster. First, I wasn’t kicking up my BGE this turkey day so it had to be in the oven. Second, because I was transporting it, I didn’t want to use a cast iron skillet- BTW, a 10″ would be too small- I used a 10 x 13 aluminum foil pan. It was stacked up entirely too high and thick therefore the middle swam in its milky juices. This really needed the “roasted vegetable” consistency as intended and not the moist pie it turned into, where the juices can evaporate. I baked it for almost an hour to make sure the center cooked through. Plus, the gratin topping turned into a parmesan style topping and not a gratin. It was a tried and failed experiment for this thanksgiving.