86 COUNTRY S TYL E JUNE 2017
POTATO GRATIN
Serves 6 as a side (See photograph, page 80)
The secret to making potato gratin is to
cut the potatoes very thinly and evenly
using the slicer attachment of a food
processor or a mandolin. The gratin
should be cooked until catching and
caramelised at the edges, so judge
readiness by how it looks, not by cooking
time. And choose a baking dish in which
the potato mixture sits about 5–6cm deep
before cooking. Although, theoretically,
you could make this dish with any variety
of firm waxy potato, desirees are the best.
This recipe is one I copied, uncredited, into
my handwritten cookbook 15 to 20 years
ago ( judging from the recipes surrounding
it). To the now forgotten author, my
apologies, and thank you — this recipe
is one I go back to again and again.1kg desiree potatoes, peeled, very thinly
sliced (no msliced (no more than 2more than 2mmm thick) thick)
2 cups full-cream2 cups full-cream m milkilk
½½ cup pure cream cup pure cream
100g gruyere, grated100g gruyere, gratedPreheat oven to 175°C. Grease a deep, Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease a deep,
10-cup capacity baking dish.10-cup capacity baking dish.
Place potato, mPlace potato, milk and creamilk and cream
in a large bowl. Using your hands, in a large bowl. Using your hands,
gently mgently mix until well comix until well combined. bined.
Season generously with sea salt Season generously with sea salt
and freshly ground black pepper. and freshly ground black pepper.
Layer potato slices and half of Layer potato slices and half of
gruyere in prepared baking dish. gruyere in prepared baking dish.
Pour over remPour over remaining maining milk milk mixture. ixture.
Top potato mTop potato mixture with remixture with remaining aining
gruyere. Bake for 50 mgruyere. Bake for 50 minutes or inutes or
until potato is tender, and cheese until potato is tender, and cheese
is golden and bubbling. is golden and bubbling.“It seems that every year
we grow more potatoes, but
never are there enough.”
COUNTRY COOK TAMS IN CARVAN
For mFor more great recipes fromore great recipes from Tam Tamsin Carvan, sin Carvan,
head to homhead to homelife.comelife.com.au/recipes.au/recipes