This creamy gratin is taken to the next level by combining both potatoes and parsnips. If you haven’t eaten many parsnips before, this is a delicious recipe to try them out and experience their subtle nutty flavour.
Potato and Parsnip Gratin with Bacon and Mustard
Ingredients
- ½ lb. bacon chopped
- ½ tbsp olive oil plus extra for greasing
- 1 small Gwillimdale Farms onion finely sliced
- 1 lb Gwillimdale Farms potatoes yellow or white
- 1 lb Gwillimdale Farms parsnips
- 4 garlic cloves finely sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves divided
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup full fat sour cream
- 1 2/3 cups whole milk
- 1 heaping tablespoon grainy mustard
- freshly grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the bacon in a medium Dutch oven or similar-sized pot and cook gently over medium-low heat to allow the fat to melt. When crispy, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the olive oil to bacon fat in the pan, followed by the onion, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened.
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and parsnips and slice into 1-inch-thick rounds.
- Add the garlic to the pot with the onions and cook for one minute. Add the bay leaf and half of the thyme, followed by the cream, sour cream, milk, mustard, and a pinch of nutmeg. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Heat until steaming, and carefully add the potatoes and parsnips to the pot. Simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to soften. Discard the bay leaf.
- Pour half of the mixture into a shallow 9 x 13-inch baking dish, then scatter over half of the bacon. Top with the remaining potato and parsnip mixture and sprinkle over the remaining bacon and thyme.
- Cover tightly with a sheet of lightly oiled foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes, until golden, bubbling and tender. Leave to stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.