Bacon-Wrapped Root Vegetable Gratins

Makes 24 mini gratins | Prep time: 35 minutes   from Edible Seattle January/February 2009 

Stack fingerling potato, carrot, and parsnip pennies between pinches of Parmesan cheese, wrap them in bacon, and bake them into bite-sized vegetable gratins--the result will turn someone into a root vegetable enthusiast in one mouthful. You'll need to cut rounds of roughly the same diameter out of the vegetables, so look for specimens similar in shape.

8 parsnips, peeled

3 carrots, peeled

1/2 pound fingerling potatoes

2 1/4 t flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese
24 (3-inch) segments bacon (from twelve 6" slices)

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with vegetable oil and set aside.

 Cut 24 pieces each from the parsnips, carrots, and fingerling potatoes; each piece should be about 1" around and 1/4" thick. Reserve remaining vegetables for another use.

 Arrange 24 parsnip slices close together on a cutting board. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon flour, salt, and pepper, then add a pinch of Parmesan cheese (about 2 tablespoons total) to each piece. Top with carrots, making little towers, and repeat with another 3/4 teaspoon flour, salt, pepper and cheese. Add potatoes, flour, salt, and pepper, and end with cheese.

 Press each bacon slice into the bottom of each muffin cup, so the ends hang over the edges slightly. Add a scant 1/2 teaspoon cheese to the bottom of each cup. Place one vegetable stack in each cup, and press down slightly.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bacon is browned and crisp. As soon as you can handle them, use a knife to loosen the gratins from the pan and transfer to an ovenproof plate. Repeat with remaining ingredients and serve immediately, or rewarm for 10 minutes at 350 degrees before serving.