Lucas Hollweg is Style’s resident food writer.

A French friend of mine was appalled when I suggested she try this recipe. “But parsnips — that is les panais, n’est-ce pas? In France they are fed to the animals.” She subsequently became so hooked, she made it five times in one week. It combines creaminess with that curious sweet-savoury quality of parsnips. Great with pretty much any roast you care to mention.

Serves 4-6

Butter

Multimedia

• Press your buttons

How to cook turkey, game and other birds

Five top chefs show you how to prepare and cook something traditional - or a little different

BACKGROUND

• Go for goose

• The perfect Christmas roast turkey

• Turkey tops the Christmas table

• Roast goose

• Gordon Ramsay: how to cook goose

BACKGROUND

• Christmas trimmings are the stars

• Proper red cabbage

• Smashed brussels (aka bubble-to-be)

• Perfect roast potatoes

• Parsnip gratin

BACKGROUND

• Spiced cranberry sauce

• Food detective: Gravy

• Sage and onion stuffing with apricots

• Bread sauce

• Ask Anjum: Indian food at Christmas

Christmas puddings and cakes

We've hand picked the tastiest home-made Christmas cakes and puddings in Britain

• Kids' food expert: sprouts

• Christmas in a box

• Christmas: turkey, geese and poultry

BACKGROUND

• Blackberry cheesecake

• Poached figs with zabaglione

• Panettone ripieno

• Chocolate Christmas cake

• Lemon cheesecake

BACKGROUND

• Top of the pops: best sparkling wine for Christmas

• Ten top wine choices for festive gifts

• The perfect mulled wine

• Top 10 tips for a cut-price Christmas

• Where to do your festive food shopping

Related Links

• Smoked salmon, potato, horseradish and caper salad

• Oysters with red wine and vinegar

• Mustard-crusted beef

500g parsnips

175ml double cream

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 sprigs of thyme

1 heaped tsp dijon mustard

Nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Butter a gratin dish.

Peel the parsnips and slice as thinly as possible into rounds. Steam for 5-10 minutes until soft, but still holding their shape (or boil for 4-5 minutes and allow to steam-dry in a colander). Layer roughly in the gratin dish.

Mix together the cream, garlic, thyme leaves, mustard and a good grating of nutmeg. Season generously, particularly with salt. Pour over the parsnips and press down so the liquid oozes through the vegetables. Dot the top with butter and cook in the oven for 45 minutes until golden.

Times Recommends

• Top Ten most searched for recipes
• Chalet Chef 2010: the winning menus
• Gin and pomegranate jellies