Winter Vegetable Gratin with Cranberries and Chestnuts
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large leeks, white part only, trimmed of roots and tough outer leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, and swirled vigorously in a bowl of cold water to remove any grit
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced? inch thick
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 celery root (about 1 pound), peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick
- 2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (6 to 8 ounces)
- 1½ cups cooked and peeled chestnuts; If you can’t get chestnuts, substitute 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed of stalks and tough outer layers, cut lengthwise in half, cored, and cut crosswise into ¼- inch-thick slices
- 1 pound winter squash (butternut, buttercup, or Hubbard), peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick
- 1 cup dried cranberries, soaked in ¼ cup warm water
- 2½ cups milk
- 2 cups cream
Instructions:
This gratin could serve as the main course of a meal for 6, or more as a side dish.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter. When it has melted, add the leeks and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.
- Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel, then heat 2 more tablespoons butter over medium heat. As soon as it melts add the pears and sauté until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Rub the bottom and sides of a 3-quart baking dish with the final tablespoon of butter. Layer half the potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Season with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of the sage. As you add each subsequent layer, season it the same way. Use all of the leeks for the next layer, followed by all of the celery root. Top with 1 cup of the cheese. Sprinkle with the chestnuts, then use the fennel, squash, cranberries, and pears for the subsequent layers. Finish with the remaining potatoes. Pour the milk over the top of the gratin. Press a layer of plastic wrap against the potatoes, then follow it with a layer of aluminum foil, tucking the foil around the edges so it both sits on the gratin and is fastened snugly to the dish. The plastic wrap will prevent the potatoes from drying out.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven. Carefully peel back a corner of the foil and plastic wrap and pour the cream over the top of the gratin, then replace the wrap and foil. Bake for 30 minutes longer.
- Remove the foil and plastic wrap. The tip of a sharp knife should easily penetrate the gratin without any resistance; if the vegetables are still somewhat firm, cook for another 15 minutes and test with a knife again. Sprinkle the gratin with the remaining 1 cup cheese and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese has formed a golden crust.
- Allow the gratin to cool for 10 minutes before serving.