Roast Vegetable Gratin

, from Issue #69. November, 2016
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Roast Vegetable Gratin

Meltingly tender vegetables are cooked in a touch of cream, flavoured with fresh thyme and aged cheddar cheese. 

Serves: 10

INGREDIENTS

1 kilogram agria potatoes
800 grams kumara (I used beauregard)
400 grams yellow beetroot, or use more kumara if not available
1½ cups grated, aged cheddar cheese
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup cream
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
sea salt and ground pepper  

METHOD

Grease a 6-cup capacity ovenproof baking dish. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.

Peel all the vegetables and slice off the sides so they sit flat. Slice 1cm thick.

Combine 1 cup of the cheese, stock, cream, garlic and the thyme in a large bowl and season. Add the vegetables and toss together, separating the slices so all are covered with the stock mixture.

Take handfuls of the vegetables and stack them vertically in the dish, packing them close together so they stand up straight. Use the off-cuts to pack between the rows so they are firmly packed.

Pour over the stock mixture left in the bowl. Top with the remaining ½-cup of cheese. Cover with baking paper, then foil, sealing tightly.

Bake for 1 hour or until soft then uncover and continue to cook until the top is golden and the vegetables are very tender. Place under a hot grill if you would like the top to have more colour.