You say potato and I say…
Add cheese, please!
I thought that this week we would take a break from the sweets and hop into spring with a savory side dish. Nothing says savory like some good old starch. My Potato Gratin is so absolutely easy that I bet this will become a favorite with your family as it has with
mine.
The following is more of a guideline. Tonight I made mine half and half, which means that I made half of this dish with the kids in mind and the other half was selfishly indulgent for us adults at the table. For the grownup version I sautéed one small yellow onion and 4 cloves of garlic. I added that mixture to the first layer of potatoes on one half of the dish. I then added some bleu cheese in addition to the other cheese.
HEAVEN!
Be creative. This is just a guideline to get you on the road to some wonderful, savory side dishes.
NOTHING is set in stone. Any recipe is only as limited as your imagination!
Easy Potato Gratin
1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence*2 teaspoons salt (kosher or sea is what I always
recommend)
1 teaspoon ground pepper (FRESH, again, this is in a
perfect world)
1 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated, or
combination of your favorites
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced (Yukon
gold works great, too)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream or half-and-half
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard (optional)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a 4-quart casserole dish by giving it a nice coat of soft butter.
Mix the herbs, salt and pepper in small bowl. Combine the grated cheese and flour in a large bowl; toss to coat the cheese.
Arrange a layer of potatoes over the bottom of prepared dish. Sprinkle over this layer some of the herb and salt mixture, then some of cheese mixture. Repeat this layering of
potatoes, herb mixture and cheese mixture 2 more times.
Whisk the chicken broth, cream and mustard (if using) in a medium bowl to blend. Pour broth mixture over the top layer.
Bake about 50 minutes or until potatoes are soft and the cheese is browned. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
*Moores Flour Mill in Redding is a wonderful source for dried herbs.
Photo courtesy of Andrea Charroin
Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she, her husband Westley, and their two sons moved to Redding nine years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is still asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
Copyright 2008 Andrea R. Charroin
