Pancetta And Porcini Potato Gratin Food

PANCETTA AND PORCINI POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in the water for 20 minutes.
• Remove the mushrooms from the water, reserving the water, squeeze the excess water from them and coarsely chop them.
• Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
• Add the pancetta and saute until it starts to turn golden brown, about 4-6 minutes.
• Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and saute for a minute and remove from heat.
• Bring the cream, milk, reserved mushroom water and nutmeg to a simmer and remove from heat.
• Pour a bit of the cream over the bottom of an 8x8x2 inch baking pan and layer 1/2 of the sliced potatoes on top followed by half of the pancetta and mushroom mixture and cheese, followed by the remaining potatoes, the cream and the remaining pancetta and mushroom mixture and cheese and cover in foil.
• Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until fork tender, about 45-60 minutes. Note: At the end of this step you can let the gratin sit at room temperature for up two 2 hours before continuing.
• Remove the foil and continue to cook until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.

POTATO GRATIN WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS AND MASCARPONE CHEESE

Steps:

• Place porcini and 1 cup boiling water in medium bowl. Place small bowl atop mushrooms to keep submerged. Let soak 20 minutes. Drain and coarsely chop mushrooms.
• Melt butter with oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Whisk 1/4 cup Parmesan and next 4 ingredients in small bowl; season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Mushrooms and cheese mixture can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter wide shallow 2-quart baking dish. Arrange 1/4 of potato slices in bottom of dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Scatter 1/4 of mushrooms over. Repeat. Spread half of cheese mixture over, shaking dish to settle. Repeat with remaining potatoes and mushrooms in 2 layers each; spread remaining cheese mixture over. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan over. Place gratin dish on rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake gratin until top is brown and sauce is bubbling at edges, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let gratin rest 15 minutes before serving. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Tent loosely with foil and rewarm in 300°F oven 20 minutes.
• *Available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.
• **Italian cream cheese; sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets.

WILD MUSHROOM, POTATO & PANCETTA GRATIN

Steps:

• Put the garlic cloves, onion, bay leaves, thyme, double cream and milk in a pan. Bring slowly to the boil over a low heat, partially cover with a lid and cook for 20-30 mins until the onion is tender and the cream mixture slightly thickened. Turn off and leave everything to infuse for 1 hr.
• Strain the cream mixture into a jug (or bowl) and discard the herbs. Put the garlic cloves and onion in a food processor or blender and whizz until smooth - add a drop of the cream if it helps. Stir the paste back into the rest of the cream and season with 2 tsp salt.
• Put the pancetta in a cold frying pan and cook gently, over a low-medium heat so the fat melts into the pan, until the pancetta is really crispy. Lift out with a slotted spoon, add the butter and mushrooms and turn up the heat, frying the mushrooms, until golden and dry.
• Leave the skins on the potatoes and slice as thinly as possible. Grease a large baking dish with a little more butter. Layer up the potato slices, scattering over some of the cooked pancetta, the mushrooms and a little freshly grated nutmeg and pepper as you go. Finish by slowly pouring over the cream so that it settles among all the layers, then scatter over a few more thyme leaves. Cover with foil.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake the gratin for 1 hr, then remove the foil and bake for 35-45 mins more until golden and crispy on top. Poke a knife in to check the potatoes are tender, then leave for 10-15 mins to settle, before serving with a salad, if you like.

SWEET POTATO AND PANCETTA GRATIN

Steps:

• Grease 8 x 8 pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Slice sweet potato into thin rounds, about 1/8 inch thick. Not paper thin, but evenly sliced. I use a mandoline.
• Heat cream and butter in a saucepan until simmering. Add sweet potatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until just tender or until most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes.
• Cook pancetta in small, nonstick pan, until crispy. Remove, place on paper towel and caramelize onions in pancetta fat on low heat, around 10 minutes.
• Layer sweet potatoes on bottom of baking dish, add pancetta and onions on top (or carefully stir them all together). Sprinkle top liberally with cheddar cheese.
• Bake for 15 - 20 minutes uncovered until cheese bubbles.

POTATO AND PORCINI GRATIN

Steps:

• In a bowl soak porcini in warm water 30 minutes, or until softened. Slowly strain soaking liquid through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter or a double thickness of rinsed and squeezed cheesecloth into a small saucepan, being careful to leave last tablespoon (containing sediment) in bowl. Boil soaking liquid until reduced to about 1/2 cup.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Wash porcini under cold water to remove any grit and pat dry. Chop porcini coarse. Peel potatoes and slice 1/8 inch thick. In a large (4-quart) saucepan cook porcini and garlic in butter over moderate heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Add potatoes, reduced porcini liquid, milk, cream, 4 teaspoons chives, and salt and bring liquid to boil, stirring.
• Transfer mixture to a buttered 2-quart gratin dish and bake 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle gratin with remaining 2 teaspoons chives.