To change a little from the traditional potato gratin or new potatoes, you can use other vegetables for your side dishes during the Christmas meal. There are many vegetables in season right now, including several types of squash or cabbage. Chefs share numerous recipes on their social networks to give you ideas. This is the case of Philippe Etchebest, with his Christmas gratin.
Philippe Etchebest’s Christmas gratin recipe made with potatoes, parsnips and chestnuts
It is, according to Chief Etchebest, “good, unmissable, inexpensive and ideal for a dinner with friends“. His gratin is a perfect accompaniment for the Christmas turkey blanquette whose recipe he shared at the end of November. The gratin is composed of potatoes, parsnips and chestnuts, enough to amaze your guests. Remember to prepare it wake up, it’s better.
The ingredients of Philippe Etchebest’s Christmas gratin recipe
- 1 kg of potatoes (ideally Bintje or BF)
- 600 g parsnips
- 1.5 liters of cream
- 4 cloves of garlic
- Coarse salt
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 100 g chestnuts
The steps for preparing Christmas gratin
- Peel the parsnips and potatoes then put the latter in water when they are whole to avoid oxidation.
- Slice the parsnips and potatoes with a mandolin to obtain an even result. To avoid cutting yourself, you can use a cloth to hold your potato. Be careful, once cut, the potatoes should no longer be washed.
- Crush the garlic.
- Take two saucepans. Put garlic and cream in both. The cream should cover the parsnips on one side and the potatoes on the other. Add salt and pepper and place over medium heat.
- When the cream is simmering, add the potatoes to one pan and the parsnips to the other, then the thyme. At the same time, preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Take a mold of a good thickness, rub the garlic all over the dish then butter it.
- When the parsnips and potatoes are a little cooked, but not completely, it’s time to take them out. Take a salad bowl and a colander to drain the parsnips then do the same thing in another salad bowl with the potatoes. Remove the thyme. Return the two creams to the same saucepan over medium heat to reduce.
- Chop the chestnuts.
Assembling the Christmas gratin
- Start by making a first layer of potatoes. Then make a layer of parsnips then sprinkle with chestnuts.
- Repeat the same operation (potato, then parsnips, then chestnuts) until you reach the top of the dish. Finish with a layer of potatoes.
- Add 3/4 of the cream on top then put the gratin to cook in the oven, at least for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, check that the blade of a knife fits easily into your gratin. If so, it is cooked. Let it cool then put it in the refrigerator until the next day.
How to serve Philippe Etchebest’s Christmas gratin?
Before serving, take it out of the refrigerator an hour before. When it’s time for an aperitif, put your gratin in the oven to start cold and with a setting of 180°C. Once the aperitif and starter are finished, you can take out the gratin.
For training, you have several options. You can place the dish directly on the table for everyone to help themselves or you can offer individual portions. Use either a spoon or for a really uniform result, a round cookie cutter.