Flash your cooking skills with this cheesy gratin (and make plans for a gobbler)

Thanksgiving is almost upon us. But it’s 2020, so obviously we need to make some adjustments. I think we can all safely assume that gatherings will be smaller this year due to COVID-19, or perhaps because of the “lost” invitation to that uncle that voted for the loudmouthed political candidate. Either way this year, there should be fewer people sitting around the Thanksgiving dinner table.

This will be the first year that I won’t have access to a commercial kitchen for meal prep and cooking. I will have to adjust my normal Thanksgiving prep accordingly. Thankfully, with a smaller gathering, I should be able to pull it off.

While some people may be sad that they can’t/shouldn’t have a large family-and-friend gathering, I am choosing to focus on the positives that come from a smaller guest list. The two biggest pros that I can think of are the less people at the table, the more leftovers, and it is far easier to cook for a small crowd. That means I get to flex my culinary muscles and experiment with some new and some more complicated dishes, and we all have the potential to take home leftovers to make “gobblers” (Leftover Thanksgiving dinner sandwiches) the next day. So these are truly reasons to be thankful.

Here are some tips to make the perfect gobbler and also a recipe for a celeriac and Parmesan gratin that will be gracing my Thanksgiving table this year.

Gobbler tips

▪ Make a cranberry sauce mayo with a little Dijon mustard in it.

▪ Use a soft bread and if the mood strikes include a “moist-maker” (ask our old Friend Ross).

▪ Just because stuffing is bread doesn’t mean it shouldn’t also be included inside your sandwich.

▪ A panini press is your friend (If you don’t have one, press your sandwich between two preheated cast iron pans.)

▪ Cut your leftover turkey as thin as you can and glaze with leftover gravy. (Reheated turkey can be dry and this helps mitigate that.)

▪ Don’t be afraid to eat your monstrosity with a fork and knife.

▪ Wear stretch pants to accommodate said monstrosity.

On to a more serious note, here’s a unique gratin recipe to try out.

This is a delicious puree, and can be used for more than just this gratin recipe. I like it spread on sourdough toast with a fried egg and pickled onions. It’s good to have in the fridge.

Celeriac and Parmesan Gratin

Serves 6 to 8 people

Celeriac puree

Cook time: 1 hour (15 minutes active)

Ingredients:

2 medium celeriac roots, peeled, ½-inch dice

1 quart whole milk

10 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

2 sweet onions, ½-inch dice

6 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

¼ cup butter, ½-inch dice

½ teaspoon lemon zest, microplaned

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

▪ Prepare all vegetables as described.

▪ In a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, add all the vegetables, milk, and spices. Cover and bring to a simmer. Don’t boil the mixture.

▪ Once the celeriac is fork tender, remove from the heat and puree with an immersion blender, or a conventional blender. (Be careful not to burn yourself when pureeing hot food in a conventional blender.)

▪ Slowly add the diced butter, grated Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest and continue blending until you have a smooth puree.

▪ Add salt and black pepper until seasoned to taste.

▪ Set aside for later use or cool uncovered in the fridge.

Gratin:

Cook time 2 hours (30 minutes active time)

Ingredients:

4 to 6 Russet potatoes, peeled and soaked in water

Celeriac puree

5 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

Kosher salt

Butter

Directions:

The goal here is to create layers of thinly sliced potatoes and celeriac puree until the pan is mostly full, and then cover with the grated Parmesan cheese.

▪ Preheat your oven to 375.

▪ Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13 baking dish with butter.

▪ Thinly (1/16th to 1/8th inch) slice the potatoes. (I use my mandolin for this and only slice one or two potatoes at a time to prevent the slices from browning.)

▪ Place a layer of potatoes that slightly overlap each other (think fish scales or shingles) over the entire surface of the baking dish.

▪ Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and then spread a thin (1/8- to ¼-inch) layer of the celeriac puree on top.

▪ Repeat these steps until the pan is mostly full. If you want, you can sprinkle some of the Parmesan cheese every couple layers for extra cheesy goodness.

▪ Top the gratin with the rest of the Parmesan cheese and bake until the potatoes are fork tender and the top is golden brown.

▪ Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Pro tip: You can finish this with your broiler to get a crispier top if you like, just be careful not to burn it.

Extra pro tip: Save some for your gobbler.

This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 6:21 AM.