Parsnips Dauphinoise

• By Nick Camilleri Preziosi and Alex Mattei

For 8 people, you will need:

Eight large parsnips (they look like large white carrots), 200g of Gruyere cheese (grated), 40g of butter, salt and freshly ground pepper, freshly grated nutmeg.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200C. Slice the parsnips into rounds about half a centimetre thick. Steam them for 10 minutes. Melt half of the butter in the bottom of a large ovenproof dish, in the oven. Sprinkle a generous amount of pepper and some nutmeg into it. Make a layer of steamed parsnips and grated cheese, add more pepper and nutmeg and continue to layer. Finish with a cheese layer. Dot the remaining butter over the surface and add a last flourish of pepper and nutmeg. Bake this for 20 to 30 minutes and serve it piping hot.