Cook: Potato Gratin

Christmas dinner is one of my favourite meals, not just to eat, but also to cook. Yes, it takes me hours, but nothing beats the satisfaction of having the table set with festive delights. Roast Beef! Ham! Turkey! Mmmm.

Today I thought I'd share a recipe for something new that I'm looking to put on the Christmas menu this year -- Potato Gratin. 

I'm always on the lookout for good side dishes, and potato is something that just never fails, especially when paired with meats. My usual staple is Mashed Potato, and I've done many versions of this. I made Potato Gratin once on a whim because I wanted something different, and it turned out so well that the husband immediately asked me to make it again. I agreed, mainly because it's really quite easy, and that creaminess and cheese were a hit with me too.

Here's how you do it:

Potato Gratin
(Serves 6 as a side)

Ingredients:

4 Russet Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (between 0.5cm-1cm thick)
30g Butter, unsalted 
200ml Milk
200ml Cooking Cream
1 Bay Leaf 
2 cloves of Garlic, peeled and finely sliced 
Salt and Pepper, to taste
150g Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C.

2. Use some of the butter to oil an appropriately sized baking dish and set aside.

3. In a large saucepan, heat the milk, cooking cream, garlic, and bay leaf together with the potato slices. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 mins, till the potatoes are half-cooked (i.e. almost soft). Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

4. Scoop out the potato slices into the buttered baking dish. You don't have to line up the pieces but try to spread them out fairly evenly. Remove the bay leaf and pour the milk and cream mixture over the potatoes.

5. Cover the mixture with cheddar cheese and dot with remaining butter. You can also sprinkle with some parmesan cheese if you like.

6. Put the baking dish in the oven and cook till the top is bubbly and browned. This should take about 15 mins.

7. Remove from the oven and let the dish stand for about 10-15 mins before serving.

Cooking Notes:

♥ If there is too much liquid, add enough to just cover the potatoes with the tops of the potato slices exposed. This will ensure effective browning. 

This post is part of the Festive Food Blog Train hosted by DinoMama.

Up next is NerdyMum who will be sharing her recipe for Mulled Wine tomorrow.

The NerdyMum.com blog is about the crazy things sleep deprivation can make one do. It pretends to cover topics on parenting, marriage, cooking and science but mainly it’s a portal disguised to hide the daily rants a woman is entitled to. Hop on over to check it out.