Since days of the week are kind of a moot point at the moment, I was actually grateful that this spectacular Scalloped Potato Gratin gave me real Sunday feels. The good kind, not the scary kind! The kind where everyone gathers around the table for a leisurely and delicious lunch and lingers afterwards. Even if it is “only” us, not that that doesn’t feel like quite a handful sometimes. 😆 So thank you Melissa Clark and NYT Cooking for saving our Sunday! This gratin was such a showstoppping centerpiece that it didn’t need much on the side, so we simply served it with crispy grilled sausages and wilted garlic-y spinach.
There were a few things I changed with this recipe. It called for 5 eggs, but that felt very indulgent, know what I mean? Right now, that last grocery haul has to last us a while, so three eggs was quite sufficient. Same with the three cups of cream, substituted two cups of cream and one of milk. I also mixed Gruyère and cheddar in equal parts instead of only Gruyère and subbed fresh rosemary for the sage because it was what I had on hand.
Changes notwithstanding, this is an amazing dish that you should definitely try! xoxo Donata
Ingredients
¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick, 55 g), plus more for greasing the aluminum foil, at room temperature
3 cups (720 ml) heavy cream (alternative: 2 cups (480 ml) cream, 1 cup (240 ml) milk)
¼ cup (5 g) chopped fresh sage leaves (alternative: 1 sprig rosemary)
4 fat garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more as needed
5 large eggs (I used 3 eggs and it turned out great!)
4 pounds (2 kilos) russet potatoes (about 6 large or 8 medium)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 ¼ cups (8 1/2 ounces, 280 g) grated Gruyère (I used a 50/50 mix of Gruyère and cheddar)
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C), and brush 1/4 cup butter on a rimmed 17-by-13-inch baking sheet. Brush one or two pieces of foil (enough to cover the top of the pan) with more butter. Set the foil aside.
In a medium pot, bring the cream, sage, garlic, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by a quarter, about 15 minutes.
In a large heatproof bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Beating constantly, gradually add a little of the hot cream to the eggs, then slowly pour in the rest of the hot cream, whisking to prevent the eggs from curdling. Set aside.
Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick rounds.
Arrange one layer of potatoes on the buttered baking sheet, slightly overlapping the slices. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, add pepper to taste, then pour half the egg mixture over the potatoes. Top with 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat the layers of potato, seasoning and egg mixture. Top with the remaining 1 3/4 cups cheese. Cover the baking sheet with the foil (buttered-side down) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the potatoes and cheese are browned and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve.
Recipe by Melissa Clark via New York Times Cooking
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020921-scalloped-potato-gratin
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