Turnip Gratin
Ingredients
Butter or olive oil for the baking dish
1 garlic clove, cut in half
2 pounds turnips, preferably small ones, peeled and sliced in thin rounds
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (about 1 cup tightly packed)
2 ½ cups low-fat milk (1 percent or 2 percent)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter or oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin dish. Rub the sides and bottom with the cut clove of garlic.
Place the sliced turnips in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add half the cheese and the thyme and toss together, then transfer to the gratin dish and pour on the milk. It should just cover the turnips.
Place in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Push the turnips down into the milk with the back of a large spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and return to the oven. Bake another 40 to 50 minutes, until all of the milk is absorbed, the turnips are soft and the dish is nicely browned on top and around the edges.
By Martha Rose Shulman. Originally featured on cooking.nyt.com.