Aligot Gratin Food

ALIGOT-STYLE POTATOES WITH ROASTED GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut off the top third of the head of garlic to expose the cloves. (Reserve the top part for another use.) Put the bulb on a 12-by-12-inch piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with the olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Wrap the foil up and over the garlic, leaving some space between the foil and the exposed garlic cloves and seal the edges. Bake until the garlic cloves are deep golden brown and very tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool slightly, then squeeze out the tender cloves (see Cook's Note).
• Meanwhile, add the potatoes and bay leaf to a large pot and fill with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Season generously with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to medium-low and simmer until fork-tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well and discard the bay leaf. Reserve the empty pot.
• Pass the potatoes and roasted garlic through a potato ricer or food mill back into the pot. They should be very finely mashed and smooth. Place over medium-low heat and stir in the heavy cream and butter with a wooden spoon until creamy and combined. Add half the Gruyere and mozzarella, stirring vigorously until the cheese is completely melted and incorporated. Add the remaining Gruyere and mozzarella and continue to stir until all the cheese is melted and incorporated and the potatoes are smooth and stretchy. (The mixture should stretch like melted mozzarella cheese.)
• Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with chopped chives and serve immediately.

ALIGOT GRATIN

Steps:

• In a large saucepan combine potatoes with salted water to cover by 2 inches and simmer until very tender, about 50 minutes. Drain potatoes. Return potatoes to pan and heat over low heat, shaking pan, until dry. Cool potatoes until they can be handled.
• Peel potatoes and force through a ricer or medium disk of a food mill into pan. Add butter, garlic, and milk and cook mixture over moderately low heat, beating constantly with a wooden spoon, until fluffy and heated through, about 2 minutes.
• Add mozzarella and salt and pepper to taste and cook mixture, beating until cheese is melted and forms long elastic strands when lifted with spoon.
• Divide aligot among 6 buttered 1-cup shallow gratin dishes or one 6-cup buttered gratin dish. Aligot may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring aligot to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.
• Preheat broiler.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream until it holds soft peaks and beat in horseradish and salt to taste. Spread horseradish cream over aligot and broil about 4 inches from heat until golden, about 1 minute.

POMMES ALIGOT

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with room temperature water and season liberally with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until fork tender. Drain the potatoes, saving 1/2 cup of the cooking water for thinning out if needed.
• Pass the potatoes through a food mill into a large bowl. Add the butter and heavy cream, and fold together with a spatula until combined. Fold in the shredded cheese. If the potatoes get too thick, thin them out with a little of the cooking water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with chives and a drizzle of olive oil.
• For the onion confit: Heat a large enameled cast-iron pot over medium heat. Add the butter; when it begins to foam, add the red onions, marjoram, thyme, bay leaves and sugar, and sprinkle liberally with salt. When the onions begin to caramelize, add the red wine and balsamic vinegar and reduce to dry. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add 1 cup of the beef stock; cook until reduced to a glaze. Repeat until all the beef stock has been used. Turn off the heat and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
• For the rib-eye: Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat; add the oil. Pat the steak dry with paper towels, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. When the oil is just below smoking, place the steak into the pan. Once a nice sear has developed, flip the steak and add the butter, thyme and garlic. If the garlic or steak begins to burn, reduce the heat. Cook, basting the steak with the bubbling butter, until an internal temperature of 125 degrees F has been reached for medium-rare. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 7 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the French onion confit.

POTATO-AND-CHEESE PURéE

Steps:

• Cover potatoes with salted water > by 2 inches in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot and simmer until very tender, about 40 minutes. Drain in a colander.
• Mince garlic and mash to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt using side of a large heavy knife.
• When potatoes are cool enough to handle when held in a kitchen towel, peel and force through ricer into cleaned saucepan. Add butter, garlic paste, and milk and cook over moderately low heat, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until fluffy and heated through, about 2 minutes. Add cheese and pepper and cook, stirring vigorously with a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until cheese is melted, smooth, and almost taffylike, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat broiler. Butter baking dish. (If using 6 individual gratin dishes, butter and put on a baking sheet.)
• Transfer potato mixture to baking dish, smoothing top.
• Beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it holds soft peaks, then beat in horseradish and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread horseradish cream over potato mixture and broil 4 to 5 inches from heat, rotating gratin if it isn't browning evenly, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

ALIGOT (MASHED POTATOES WITH CHEESE)

Steps:

• Simmer the potatoes in water until very tender to the point of a knife, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, and tip out any remaining water from the pot. Push the hot potatoes through a ricer back into the pot. Over low heat, use a heatproof spatula to move the potatoes around the pot for a minute so that any excess water can evaporate.
• Add butter to the potatoes, half at a time, stirring until completely incorporated. Add hot cream, half at a time, stirring until incorporated. Add cheese a little bit at a time, stirring vigorously, until all the cheese is evenly melted and the spoon makes cheesy strings as you pull it away from the potatoes. If necessary, turn the heat up a little. Taste, and season with salt. Serve.