It’s the season of warm, cozy weather and delicious comfort food. I recently enjoyed my girlfriend’s 3 day camping/fishing trip with some friends. Although the weather was getting cooler, it was still perfect for some great bank fishing and short outings in small aluminum fishing boats.
The trout were ravenous! This was also plump and delicious! On the same trip, some of the men left early in the morning to hunt birds.
The last night we were there, we were treated to a wonderful roast duck dinner paired with a side of amazing broccoli/bacon and these au gratin potatoes. The whole thing was an unforgettable adventure.
I like my potatoes to have depth, so I browned the butter to give it a nutty flavor. I didn’t sauté the garlic. Instead, I just added garlic to the freshly grated cream mixture. I used lemon thyme from my garden and it went really well with this dish! This time I also used a smoky Gruyère, which was perfect for the wild duck.
Unfortunately, I forgot my phone while traveling, so I don’t have any photos of this dish. But believe me. It looked as delicious as it tasted.
material
Serves 8 people
2.5 pounds starchy potatoes (russet is best)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 purple onion (chopped)
2 tablespoons browned butter
2 cups full-fat cream, room temperature
2 cloves of grated garlic
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (optional but highly recommended)
2 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese (Colby, cheddar, havarti, or savory cheese), freshly grated
salt
pepper
direction
Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick slices (it’s best to use a mandoline slicer). If you cut it into 1/4-inch pieces, it will take a little longer to cook.
Fry the onions in olive oil until slightly brown. In a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup, combine brown onions, warm brown butter, cream, garlic, and thyme.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom of the baking dish and place the potatoes in a single layer. Depending on the number of layers that will fit in the dish, pour 1/3-1/4 of the cream mixture (use a spoon to incorporate the deliciousness into each layer), sprinkle with cheese, add salt and pepper. . Continue doing this until the potato and cream mixture is gone.
It will hold the last layer of cheese that you put at the end of baking. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender in the middle (test with a knife).
Remove the foil and top with cheese. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown and bubbly (you can also put it under the broiler, watch carefully!) Let it sit for 5 minutes before eating.
Kate Johnson is a longtime Carson City resident. She is an avid gardener, cook, musician, and dog lover.