Easter Series: Squash and Celeriac Gratin

Easter Series: Squash and Celeriac Gratin

Easter Series: Squash and Celeriac Gratin

 

Recipe 2 in our Easter 'freeze & feast' series is a delicious squash and celeriac gratin inspired by one of our favourite chefs and creators Nina Parker.


This recipe makes 2 gratins - 1 for now and one for the freezer (1/2 the recipe to make just one gratin!). Each gratin will serve 4-6 people as a side dish - you'll need 2 x c.30cm rectangular gratin dishes. 


A lighter version of everyone's greatest love, dauphinoise, this recipe is absolutely delicious with lamb or even served alone with a bitter leaf salad. 


Ingredients:

1 medium sized butternut squash (1kg), peeled, de-seeded and chopped into 4-6 large chunks

1 medium sized celeriac (1kg), peeled and chopped into 4-6 large chunks

2 litres of vegetable stock


For the sauce:

80g salted butter

12 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 handfuls of sage, thinly chopped

600ml double cream

Grating of nutmeg (c. ½ tsp)

100g parmesan

Salt and pepper


Method

  • Preheat the oven to 200C

  • Finely slice the butternut squash and celeriac on a mandolin or through a Magimix on the medium blade. You can do this by hand but it's harder work!

  • Boil the stock in a large pan and cook the squash and celeriac in batches for around 4 minutes per batch. Strain each batch with a slotted spoon and evenly distribute the vegetables into the two gratin dishes. 

  • Once all the vegetables are cooked, reserve the stock to one side, you'll need 300ml of it later! The rest can be saved to use another time.

  • Spread the vegetables evenly into the two dishes making sure you've got about 50:50 squash and celeriac in each. This doesn't need to be neat unless you're that way inclined.

  • For the sauce, heat a large saucepan over a medium heat and melt the butter until foaming. Add the garlic and sage and fry without allowing the garlic to turn brown for a couple of minutes. 

  • Add the cream, 300ml of the reserved veg stock, nutmeg and 2/3 of the parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and stir until it begins to simmer.

  • Pour the sauce evenly over the vegetables (1/2 on each) and finish with a sprinkling of the remaining parmesan

  • Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until bubbling and golden and the vegetables cooked through

  • Leave to stand for 10 minutes and serve


Top tips: 

Once the gratin is cool, it can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days before warming through at 180C for 20-25 minutes

To freeze, wrap well in foil or put into a large freezer bag and freeze until needed. Defrost in the fridge for 24 hours before reheating as above.


We hope you enjoy!