Potatoes and Chanterelles Gratin

I have already talked about the abundance of wild mushrooms at the market right now. This is the thing about seasonal cooking. The season is short and if you want to enjoy the bounty it means using the same ingredients in different ways for a while until…….. The King is dead long live the King….and new produce dominates the market stalls. I have featured wild mushrooms in Stuffed Zucchini, quesadillas and risotto and today in this gratin recipe. There is still more to come so stay tuned if you like wild mushrooms.

Gratin is one of those dishes that remind me of country cooking in the south of France or in a remote Italian village. It’s earthy, satisfying, easy to prepare and in my opinion, beautiful. Golden crispy crust of bread crumbs or cheese, specks of herbs here and there, sauce spilling out over the edge of the gratin dish, fragrance permeates the air in the kitchen and wafts through the house promising a warm and delicious meal. Your senses are stimulated long before the first bite, and when you finally reach for it,  it softly melts, slowly imparting its flavours and textures to your anticipating palate. Ahhhh, my kind of cooking.

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Ingredients:

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4 large potatoes, yukon gold

1 1/2 cups stock (chicken or vegetables)

1 1/2 cups cream

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 medium-large wild chanterelles, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped herb (parsley, thyme, oregano)

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup grated parmesan

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Directions:

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Bring the cream and stock to a boil. When boiling remove from heat and set aside.

Wash and peel the potatoes, then slice on a mandolin or with a knife into very thin slices. Place the slices to soak in the hot milk-stock for a few minutes while you cook the mushrooms.

Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet.

Add onion and cook until translucent but do not brown.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the mushrooms and one tablespoon herbs and cook until the mixture dries and then the mushrooms exude their juices. You may need to add a little more oil or a little stock or water if it seems too dry.

When the mushrooms are cooked through remove from the heat.

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Assembling the dish:

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Butter a gratin dish with soft butter.

Put half of the potato slices over the bottom of the gratin dish overlapping them in a couple of layers.

Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and some of the cheese.

Spoon the mushroom mixture over the potatoes. Add salt and pepper and some herbs and cheese, .

Place remaining potatoes over the mushrooms.

Pour the milk-stock liquid over the gratin, then top with the rest of the herbs and cheese.

Place on a foil lined baking sheet (helps keep the oven clean from any spills) and place in a preheated 375℉.

Cook until liquids are bubbly, top is golden and a knife can be easily inserted into the dish indicating the potatoes are cooked through.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving, to allow the dish to settle and the liquids to be absorbed.

Serve hot or warm.

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