Trying new recipes is part of the joy of cooking. I have cookbooks with scraps of paper stuck in them, marking pages of delicacies I want to try. I have a tall stack of printed on-line recipes just waiting to perfume my kitchen. This recipe is not one of those; many moons ago it graduated from the experimental category. Consider this treasure gift-wrapped, a present for your birthday. I am handing you my "fancy potato" entertaining dish, adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten. This creamy, bubbly, French casserole has starred as "best supporting actor" in more dinners at my table than I could count. I have yet to meet a meat that wasn't elevated by having this beauty by its side. (You'd almost think that I was talking about a husband and a wife)!
A pan of potato gratin makes the adult men in my family go weak at the knees, Derek in particular. Several years ago, a few of his Chattanooga friends were driving to Wheaton to visit him at college. Never one to miss an opportunity to create a care package, I sent him a text, asking him what he wanted me to bake. He politely told me that he loved my cookies and brownies, but what he really wanted was a pan of potato gratin! Of course I baked some in a disposable pan, placed the pan tenderly in a collapsable cooler, and bid it bon voyage, all the way to that smelly, dirty, college dorm kitchen. Derek, now that you will soon have your own place, you will need to learn to make this masterpiece yourself. As with many things French, potato gratin is deceptively easy to make, relying on quality ingredients such as butter, cream and cheese to make this dish sing.
Potato Gratin
8 c. very thinly sliced potatoes (Use either red potatoes or russet baking ones. I use the food processor to slice them and leave the skins on.)
2 c. thinly sliced yellow onions
2 cups + 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 1/2 c. grated Gruyère cheese (about 1/2 lb), divided
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter or bacon grease
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Slice the onions very thin. Heat a skillet over low/medium heat; add the olive oil and butter (or bacon grease). Spread the onions out in the skillet and let them slowly caramelize, stirring every few minutes. Remove from the heat when they are soft and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
The food processor makes shredding the cheese and slicing the potatoes a cinch, but you can certainly do both by hand. I love the added color and texture provided by the skins, but if you prefer, peel the potatoes. Divide the shredded Gruyère; place 2 cups in a large bowl and the other 1/2 cup in a small bowl. Add two cups of heavy cream to the large bowl and stir two tablespoons of cream into the 1/2 cup of cheese, reserving this for the topping.
Stir the sliced potatoes, caramelized onions, salt and pepper into the large bowl of cream and cheese, gently stirring until everything is coated. Pour the mixture into a buttered casserole dish (approximately 9 x 13 inches). Pressed down firmly on the top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the little bowl of cheese and cream on the top of the casserole, to form that nice, finishing crust.
At this point, you can cover the dish with foil and refrigerate it for several hours before baking, or it can go right into the oven. Using convection bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes (regular bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hrs). The finished gratin should be quite brown and bubbly; check after an hour and lay foil over top if necessary to prevent excessive browning. Let set for at least ten minutes before serving. Serves 8-10
