Key recipe - rainbow vegetable gratin

Rainbow Vegetable Gratin

Serves 4

To make this beautiful, rainbow vegetable dish into a complete meal, serve it with a source of protein such as a couple of poached eggs, some roasted chicken, baked or steamed fish or sprinkle with some toasted pine nuts / chopped nuts or seeds before serving.

Amelia uses a Japanese mandolin such as the Benriner which are easily available online. Don't forget to use the hand guards!

Ingredients

• 2 shallots or 1 small red onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey (or maple syrup)
• 1 medium sweet potato (ideally long and thin)
• 1 parsnip
• 1 courgette
• 1 beetroot
• 1 bulb fennel
• 200ml vegetable stock (¾ of a cup)
• Salt and pepper
• Small handful fresh thyme leaves (optional)
• Parmesan to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Peel the shallots or onion, halve lengthways and slice thinly. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan or skillet, then add the shallots or onion slices. Cook for 10-15 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently.

While these are cooking, prepare the vegetables. Peel the sweet potato, parsnip and beetroot then slice all of the vegetables into very thin slices. It's easiest to do this with a mandolin, or you can use the chopping attachment on a food processor if you have one. Otherwise, you can do it by hand with a sharp knife if you are knife confident.

Once the onions are soft and golden, add the balsamic vinegar, honey and a good pinch of salt and pepper then stir to combine. Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the onions are sticky. Tip the onions into a 20cm round tin and spread out into an even layer.

Arrange the sliced vegetables in a spiral, working towards the centre of the dish, alternating between the vegetables as you go.

Pour over the stock, season well and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and starting to brown at the edges.

Just before serving, sprinkle with the fresh thyme and a grating of parmesan, if you are using it.