Potato Gratin With Sorrel Food

SORREL AND POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Arrange shallots in an even layer over bottom of baking dish. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Arrange half of the sorrel over shallots, then layer with half of the potatoes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Repeat with remaining sorrel and potatoes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour cream over top, and dot with remaining tablespoon butter.
• Cover with foil; bake 1 hour. Uncover; bake until potatoes are tender and cream is thick, about 20 minutes more. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

POTATO AND SORREL GRATIN

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a wide saucepan and cover with water. Add salt to taste and bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover partially and gently boil potatoes for 20 minutes, or until tender all the way through but firm enough to slice. Drain, return the potatoes to the pan, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove from the pot and using a towel to grip the potatoes if they are too hot to handle, slice about 1/2 inch thick, or if you prefer, cut in dice. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile stem and wash sorrel leaves. Heat a wide skillet over high heat and add the sorrel, in batches if necessary. Stir until sorrel has wilted in the liquid left on the leaves after washing. The color will go from bright green to drab olive and the sorrel will melt down to what looks like a purée. Don't worry, it will be chopped and mixed with the other ingredients and you won't mind the color. When all of the sorrel has wilted, remove from heat and transfer to a strainer or a colander. Rinse briefly with cold water, then press or squeeze out excess liquid. Chop medium-fine. Transfer to bowl with the potatoes, toss together and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub sides and bottom of a 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish or gratin with the cut side of the garlic clove. Oil dish with olive oil. Mince remaining garlic and add to potatoes and sorrel.
• Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Add salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon). Whisk in milk. Add to potatoes and sorrel and stir well to distribute sorrel evenly throughout the mixture. Stir in cheeses and freshly ground pepper, and scrape into the baking dish.
• Bake 45 minutes, or until set and the top and sides are nicely browned. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes or longer before serving.

POTATO GRATIN WITH SORREL

Steps:

• Put the potato and onion slices in a saucepan and pour in two cups of water. Add one teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil, shaking the pan to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the bottom. Turn off the heat at the boil. Drain potatoes and onions but reserve the cooking liquid for later.
• Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a skillet, add the sorrel and cook for two minutes, wilting it into a puree. Mix in the cream and the remaining half-teaspoon salt. Cook for three minutes or longer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Rub the baking dish with the remaining tablespoon of butter and scatter in the minced garlic.
• Put the potatoes and onions in a two-quart rectangular or oval baking dish 14 by 8 by 2 inches. Pour in the cooking liquid and spread the creamy sorrel on top.
• Bake in middle of the oven for an hour to an hour and a half or until potatoes are tender and golden on top.