Parsnips in Gruyère

We do love our Christmas lunch, it's always a bit special, and not just because it's one of the very rare occasions when we now use our oven!!  This was our plate for Christmas Day last year... nutloaf, steamed sprouts, kale and carrots, roast potatoes and... the pièce de résistance, Parsnips in Gruyère!!

We pre-cook the parsnips either by steaming in our steamer or the microwave, though you could boil them.  The sauce is simply a delicious cheese sauce made with Gruyère cheese instead of Cheddar, and a grating of nutmeg.  Once baked until golden, this dish is SO rich and gorgeous you will want to have Parsnips in Gruyère every week!!

Ingredients

1 tbs Olive Oil
1 tbs Plain Flour
275 ml Oatmilk (or Milk or preferred milk alternative)
200g Gruyère cheese
1/4 tsp salt or bouillon powder
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Method

Peel and cut the parsnips into hearty chunks and steam until the core has some give in it - in our steamer this takes about ten minutes.  You can cook the parsnips with a few tablespoons of water in a lidded / sealed microwaveable container and it will take about 8 mins on full power - stir after four minutes (watching out for the steam!).  In you prefer to boil them they will take about seven minutes.

Whilst the parsnips are steaming, you can make the sauce.

You can follow Richard's video of him making a white roux sauce, adding the nutmeg and grated gruyere at the end, stiring until the cheese is melted and the sauce smooth, or...

Add the olive oil to a pan on a medium heat, and once warm add the flour and stir with a spoon - it will begin to seize though keep stiring to 'cook out' the flour.  This will take about a minute - be careful not to have the heat on high as this could burn the oil and flour mix, browning it which we don't want.  Once the oil and flour is con=mbined, stir in milk a few tablespoons at a time, stiring all the time.  Continue until all the milk is combined and the sauce is smooth.  Add the salt and nutmeg and stir through, then add the grated cheese and stir until all is melted and the sauce is smooth.

In an ovenproof dish place the steamed parsnips, preferably in a single layer, and top off with the sauce.  At this stage the dish can be covered and cooled, or even frozen.

To cook, place the overnproof dish into a preheated oven at 200c / 180c Fan.  Bake for twenty minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and golden.

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