au_gratin_potatos.txt

Potatoes Au Gratin

Recipe courtesy B. Smith, B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking For Friends, Artisan, 1995

This is one of the first dishes I made in Home Economics class, but it wasn't until after I graduated that I learned about adding Parmesan and Gruyere for a more sophisticated version.

Prep Time:
    15 min
Inactive Prep Time:
    --
Cook Time:
    1 hr 30 min

Level:
    Easy

Serves:
    4 servings

Ingredients

    * 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
    * 1 1/2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
    * 1/2 cup grated Gruyere
    * 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
    * 1 cup heavy cream
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    * 1/8 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of the softened butter.

Arrange a layer of potatoes in the baking dish, and sprinkle some of the cheeses over them. Continue layering potatoes and cheeses until you've used them all, ending with a layer of potatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk the cream with the salt and pepper; pour this over the potatoes. Dot the remaining butter over the top and sprinkle with the paprika. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender and golden brown on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.