Oyster Gratin

Serves: 5

6 pieces salsify, peeled
2 cups heavy cream
20 oysters, shucked
4 oz slab bacon, cut into lardons
2 oz grated Gruyere cheese
1 oz basil chiffonade
2 slices of bread of choice, cut into small cubes
Salt and pepper

1. Place the peeled salsify in a pot and cover with the cream. Season with salt and cook on low heat until the salsify is tender. Remove the salsify and reserve the cream. Cut the salsify on the bias into 1-inch lengths.

2. Take the reserved cream and place it back in the pot and reduce by half; put aside. Take the bacon lardons and place them in a warm sauté pan and render out all of the fat until they are crispy. Drain the fat off of the lardons and put aside.

3. To make the croutons: Take the cubes of bread and toast them on a cookie sheet in an oven set at 250 degrees F until they are hard.

4. To assemble the dish: Mix the cooked and cut salsify, oysters, reduced cream, bacon lardons, gruyere cheese, croutons and the basil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Place the whole mixture in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees F uncovered until gold brown.