Creamy Potato Gratin From Gilroy Garlic Festival Food

CREAMY POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices, neither especially thin nor especially thick (approximately 1/2-inch) and put them into a large saucepan with the milk, cream, onion, minced garlic and salt. Bring to the boil and cook at a robust simmer or gentle boil (however you like to think of it) until verging on tender, but not dissolving into mush. The pan might be hell to clean afterward, but any excuse for long, lazy soaking rather than brisk pre-or postprandial scrubbing always appeals to me. And, for what it's worth, I find that when pans are really, dauntingly, stuck with cooked-on gunge, it's more effective to soak them in hot water and detergent (i.e., the stuff you put in the washing machine, though I haven't tried, and don't think I would, with tablets) rather than dish liquid.
• Use some of the butter to grease a large roasting pan (15 by 12-inches) and then pour the almost sludgy milk and potato mixture into it. Dot with remaining butter and cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until the potato is bubbly and browned on top. Remove, let stand for 10 to 20 minutes and then serve.
• This is not the most labor saving way of cooking potatoes, to be sure, but one of the most seductive. And it reheats well as an accompaniment to cold roast pork, or indeed anything in the days that follow.

CREAMY POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large stockpot or Dutch oven; cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well; set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 cup white cheddar cheese and mustard. Stir in potatoes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place into oven and bake until potatoes are tender and mixture has thickened, about 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/4 cups white cheddar cheese. Place into oven and broil until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.

GARLIC MASHED POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375˚. Slice off about 1/4 inch from the top of the garlic head. Place cut-side up on a piece of foil. Top with the olive oil and a pinch of salt; snap a rosemary sprig in half and place on top of the garlic. Wrap in the foil. Roast until the garlic is soft and golden, about 1 hour. Carefully open the foil and let the garlic cool slightly, then squeeze the cloves out of the skin; discard the rosemary.
• Meanwhile, butter a 2-quart baking dish. Smash the remaining 2 garlic cloves; add to a large pot along with the potatoes and the remaining 3 rosemary sprigs. Cover with cold water by 1 inch and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain well; discard the rosemary sprigs.
• Increase the oven temperature to 450˚. Press the potatoes, boiled garlic and roasted garlic through a ricer or food mill back into the pot. (Alternatively, return the potatoes and boiled garlic to the pot along with the roasted garlic and mash with a potato masher.)
• Fold in the butter until melted. Gradually stir in 3/4 cup milk until smooth. If the potatoes still seem thick, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup milk as needed. Season with salt.
• Transfer the mashed potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Bake until browned on top, 30 to 40 minutes.

POTATO GRATIN WITH GRUYèRE AND CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of potato slices in bottom of prepared dish, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread half of crème fraîche over potatoes and sprinkle with half of cheese. Top with remaining potatoes, overlapping slightly; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread with remaining crème fraîche; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake gratin uncovered 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue to bake gratin until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
• Available at some supermarkets. If unavailable, heat 1 1/2 cups whipping cream to lukewarm (85°F). Remove from heat and mix in 3 tablespoons buttermilk. Cover and let stand in warm draft-free area until slightly thickened, 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature of room. Chill until ready to use.

CREAMY POTATO GRATIN FROM GILROY GARLIC FESTIVAL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a small pan filled with water, parboil the garlic cloves, until tender, about 8 minutes. Place cloves and Marsala wine in blender and puree until smooth. Combine with cream and set aside.
• Lightly grease an oval au gratin dish or rectangular oven-proof dish and arrange 1/3 of each of the potatoes and the pears. Dot potatoes with 1/3 of the cheese and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Top with 1/3 cup of pecans and 1 teaspoons of the rosemary. Repeat this layering 2 more times.
• Pour the garlic cream mixture over the top of the potato layers and bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake another 20-35 minutes longer or until almost all of the cream mixture is absorbed and the potatoes are tender.

PROVENCAL POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Rub 1 of the garlic cloves all over the inside of a large 1 1/2 quart oval casserole dish. Smear some of the olive oil all over the inside of the dish. Mince the rest of the garlic.
• Heat the rest of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and pepper, season with the salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the vermouth and simmer to reduce by about half.
• Using a mandoline or vegetable slicer, slice the potatoes about 1/8-inch thick and add them to the pan with the water, salt, pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the basil.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and shake the pan to distribute the potatoes evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the tomatoes about a 1/4-inch thick and arrange them in a shingled pattern on top of the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender about 1 1/2 hours. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake until brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let casserole cool 10 minutes before serving. This can also be served at room temperature.

POTATOES GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Put the potato mixture into a casserole dish, flatten it out with a spatula, and bake for 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the gratin is bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives.

RICH AND CREAMY POTATOES AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place potatoes, garlic, and salt into a large pot, fill with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer the potatoes until tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer about half the potatoes to a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Pour half of the cream over the potatoes, season with black pepper and nutmeg, and sprinkle half of the Gruyere cheese onto the mixture. Top with the remaining potatoes; sprinkle again with black pepper and nutmeg. Pour on the remaining cream, and sprinkle with remaining Gruyere cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese topping is crisp and brown on top, about 1 hour.