Recipes

[Free2be]

This Ina Garten recipe is my go-to method/basis for various scalloped potato recipes because the ratio of potato to liquid and cheese is so creamy perfect.  I previously used a recipe by Alfred Portale but gave away my cookbook of his and found this Ina Garten recipe which is almost identical.  You can follow it to the letter or leave out the fennel, add bite size ham, substitute Gruyere with Swiss cheese, even some hard boiled egg would be interesting.  It will be perfect.  It's important to smash the potatoes down into the liquid and pour that little extra on top.  Also this recipe is easily halved. It's supposed to serve 10 but they'd be small servings.

Potato, Fennel & Gruyère Gratin

2 small fennel bulbs
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp good olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 lb russet potatoes, about 4 large potatoes
2 cups plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
2 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese, about 1/2 pound
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the inside of a 10 x 15 x 4-inch baking dish. Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Sauté the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.

Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt, and pepper. Add the sautéed fennel and onion and mix well.

Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

[SuhseK]

Sounds wonderful.  I love good scalloped potatoes.   

[Mz iMac]

I am embarressed to font that I have never heard of "fennel bulbs."

Never seen one either.

[shoptilyadropagain]

Sounds good but I would leave out the fennel bulbs.  I've never had them but I understand they have a fairly strong licorice taste.  

[Kachina624]

I got in the habit years ago cooking to make everything as low fat/low calorie as possible.  When i eat something made with heavy cream, I practically become ill.  I recently made an alfredo sauce with 2 C heavy cream, 1 stick butter, and parmesan cheese.  I cut the butter in half but it was still so rich, I could hardly eat it.

Do you ever use regular milk in recipes that call for heavy cream?  I know whst fennel is but have never cooked with it.

[nomless]

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@shoptilyadropagain wrote:

Sounds good but I would leave out the fennel bulbs.  I've never had them but I understand they have a fairly strong licorice taste.  

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@shoptilyadropagain, after being cooked, the flavor of fennel changes dramatcally. I don't like raw fennel, which does have a distinct licorice taste, but I love, love, love cooked fennel. It's mild and sweet. I first tried fennel by makng the potato recipe that OP posted,  and they were terrific! I now love cooked fennel. 

I would encourage you to try them. Perhaps the next time you make scalloped potatoes, making a single serving portion that includes a little fennel. That way you could try it without ruining the entire batch if you don't like iit.

[QVCkitty1]

I love fennel, it had a very mild taste.

[fthunt]

I've never used nor heard of using heavy cream for S Potatoes.  Mom used regular milk - and so do I.  Heat enough to cover contents = cooks faster (in sauce pan) then pour in baking dish over potatoes/chopped onions/four to thicken

Yumm Yumm

Oh, forgot the chopped ham!

Must add:  dab of butter between each layer of potoatoe  - -bake covered for 1/2 hour at 375 - last 1/2 hour remove cover so top can brown and bubble.

Yes, you can freeze portion left over from dinner after it cools.

[Sooner]

My mom used to lightly flour thin potato slices, layer them one stacked on one another (like fanned cards and in a square or rectangular dish in rows and a couple or three layers) with thin onion slices between every few and pour whole milk with a little half and half on them and they were wonderful.  She put in salt and pepper on them or in the flour too.

She baked them and they would be a little brown on top and they were WONDERFUL!  We called the scalloped potatoes.  With cheese, they were potatoes au gratin.

[deepwaterdotter]

I make this version using cheddar cheese from my mother's recipe collection:

2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/4" thick

1 1/4 cup cream

1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Bring potatoes, cream, broth, salt, and pepper to a simmer in big pot over medium-high heat.  Cover and gently simmer over medium heat, stiiring occasionally until potatoes are tender.  Stir in 1 cup cheese off heat taking care not to break up potatoes.

Spread into 8X13" baking dish and sprinkle with rest of cheese.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes before serving.