Golden turnip gratin recipe

Cooking vegetables au gratin is a popular way to give them a boost of flavor and texture. The term refers to cooking foods with a golden, crispy crust, usually made from breadcrumbs or grated cheese. Gratinated potatoes are perhaps the best-known dish employing this technique. It not only features a golden crust on top, but also a thick, creamy cheese sauce inside the dish between thin slices of potatoes. Many vegetables can be made into a gratin, including broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, parsnips, leeks, fennel, corn and squash. One vegetable that people may not immediately think of as an option for a gratin dish is the humble turnip, but we assure you it’s a delicious candidate.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico created a golden turnip gratin recipe that brings sophistication to this simple root vegetable. Sliced ​​turnips cook gently in saffron-infused milk, which gives them a golden color as well as a unique taste. The creamy slices are covered in a tasty crunchy topping then baked. While the topping traditionally contains breadcrumbs and grated cheese, in this version we halve the breadcrumbs and add almond meal for flavor, texture and a nutritional boost. A drizzle of melted butter before cooking is the finishing touch. The colorful, rich, creamy and crispy result is a unique and impressive take on a traditional gratin.

Read more: 23 Types of Potatoes and When to Use Them

Gather the ingredients for your golden turnip gratin

For this recipe, you will of course need turnips. Purple turnips work very well here. The crunchy topping is made from 5 ingredients: whole almonds, breadcrumbs, parmesan, Italian parsley and salt. Be sure to grab some whole milk, a pinch of saffron threads, and some butter for the creamy liquid the turnips will cook in. Finally, you will use a little extra butter to grease the pan.

Step 1: Grind the almonds

Place almonds in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop them with a chef’s knife.

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Step 2: Prepare the bread crumb mixture

In a small bowl, combine the almond meal, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, parsley and ¼ teaspoon salt. Put aside.

Step 3: slice the turnips

Wash and peel the turnips and cut them finely with a knife or mandolin.

Step 4: place the turnips in a saucepan

Place the turnips, milk, saffron threads and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and stir gently to combine.

Step 5: bring the milk to a boil

Heat the pan over medium heat until the mixture comes to a slight boil.

Step 6: Let the turnips simmer

Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until most of the milk has evaporated and the turnips are fork tender. Stir occasionally to coat the turnips with the liquid, taking care not to break them.

Step 7: Preheat the oven

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 F.

Step 8: Butter a baking dish

Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with butter.

Slide 9: Melt the butter

When the turnips are almost done cooking, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet. Put aside.

Step 10: Layer the Turnips

Carefully arrange the turnip slices at the bottom of the baking dish in a layer 1 or 2 slices high.

Step 11: Top with Breadcrumbs

Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over turnips.

Step 12: Top with Melted Butter

Pour the melted butter evenly over it.

Step 13: Cook the Turnips

Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the tops of the turnips are crisp and golden.

Step 14: Serve the browned turnips au gratin

Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

I don’t like turnips. Can I substitute other vegetables in this turnip gratin recipe?

While turnip lovers enjoy eating this root vegetable in a variety of recipes, some people simply don’t like its taste. If you prefer to avoid turnips, you can always prepare this delicious recipe using other types of vegetables. For best results, try using other root vegetables that have a similar texture to turnips but a different flavor. For example, parsnips have a similar texture but a sweeter taste. Jicama has a mild, sweet flavor and is another good substitute. With the often overlooked celery root (also called celery root), you’ll get the same texture but a nice, mild celery flavor.

Avoid using rutabagas in this recipe if you don’t like turnips. They are often recommended as a good substitute for turnips, but that’s because they taste very similar. If you don’t like one, you won’t like the other. Carrots are a good option if you don’t want to maintain the original appearance of the dish. Of course, you can always use potatoes: this popular choice for au gratin dishes is certainly delicious. The saffron and almond meal in the recipe will help the potatoes stand out from many other potato gratin recipes.

Can I make vegan or gluten-free turnip gratin?

Gratin toppings generally consist of breadcrumbs and grated cheese. In this recipe, these two ingredients are combined with almond powder, chopped parsley and salt. When sprinkled over thinly sliced ​​turnips and baked, this mixture transforms into a golden topping that lends a delicious crunch and flavor to every bite. If you follow a gluten-free diet, you can still achieve this result. You can omit the breadcrumbs without sacrificing crunch. One option is to replace the breadcrumbs with more ground almonds or other types of nuts or seeds. Other crunchy breadcrumb substitutes include crushed gluten-free crackers, gluten-free cornflakes or cereals, rice cakes, and chips.

In addition to the grated parmesan, you will need to replace the whole milk used to cook the turnips and the melted butter that drizzles on top. Consider adding toasted cashews to the breadcrumb mixture instead of grated cheese. Since you’re adding a second type of nut to raw almonds, not to mention a toasted nut, you’ll get a greater depth of flavor. Another option is to use nutritional yeast flakes, which are often used as a substitute for cheese. You can use one of the different types of plant-based milk to cook turnips instead of cow’s milk. It would be nice to drizzle some olive oil or melted margarine over the slices before baking instead of butter.

Golden turnip gratin recipe

Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Yield: 4 servingsIngredients

• 10-12 whole raw almonds

• 1 large tablespoon of breadcrumbs

• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan

• 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

• ½ teaspoon salt, divided

• 1 ½ pounds turnips (about 3 medium-sized turnips)

• ½ cup whole milk

• 1 pinch of saffron threads

• 1 tablespoon butter, plus a little for greasing

Directions

1. Place almonds in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop them with a chef’s knife.

2. In a small bowl, combine the almond meal, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, parsley and ¼ teaspoon salt. Put aside.

3. Wash and peel the turnips and cut them finely with a knife or mandolin.

4. Place the turnips, milk, saffron threads and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and stir gently to combine.

5. Heat the pan over medium heat until the mixture comes to a slight boil.

6. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until most of the milk has evaporated and the turnips are fork tender. Stir occasionally to coat the turnips with the liquid, taking care not to break them.

7. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 F.

8. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with butter.

9. When the turnips are almost done cooking, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet. Put aside.

10. Carefully arrange the turnip slices at the bottom of the baking dish in a layer 1 or 2 slices high.

11. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over turnips.

12. Pour the melted butter evenly over it.

13. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the tops of the turnips are crisp and golden.

14. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Read the original article on the tasting table.