Yukon Gold Potato Gratin with Horseradish & Parmesan

There are certain recipes you need a staple for – your go-to recipes. The basic chocolate chip cookie. Mashed potatoes. Spaghetti sauce. For me, the one I kept trying but never found “the one” was potato gratin.

After perfecting my mashed potatoes – Yukon golds smashed rustic style with butter, cream, creme fresh and rosemary – I now needed a great alternative starch to serve with my favorite filet, roast or ham.

When making filet mignon for my parents the other weekend, I tried this one as another attempt at finding my new go-to gratin recipe. After much searching, I found it. I am convinced the thing that sets it apart (aside from the large quantities of cream, of course) is the addition of horseradish. I never would have thought of it, but it is such a natural combination that I sure should have. This gratin has a creamy sauce, a little kick from the horseradish and a salty top layer of parmesan. The perfect gratin dish.

A little tip – I didn’t have cheesecloth so instead I chopped up the garlic, thyme and just used ground pepper. Worked just fine!
Thanks to Epicurious for this great recipe that I will now frequently serve with my balsamic filet mignon.

Also to note, it is clear that I am not able to take a photo as beautiful as this one. Like some of my other posts, I have been lucky enough to have my dad be able to take a photo, so credit goes to him – http://www.robertstonephotography.com.

YUKON GOLD POTATO GRATIN WITH HORSERADISH AND PARMESAN
10 servings

1 bunch fresh thyme
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
3 pounds boiling potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices
2 tablespoons sea salt
5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with back of knife
4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh horseradish, grated
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated

Place rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Generously butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish.

Make a bouquet garni by wrapping thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf in 6-inch square of cheese cloth and securing with kitchen string.

In heavy, 6-quart saucepan, combine potatoes, bouquet garni, salt, garlic cloves, and cream. Set over moderate heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes can just be pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove bouquet garni and garlic and discard. Stir in horseradish.

Spread potato mixture in buttered dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Chipotle Butter Steak and Poblano, Potato and Corn Gratin

Those who read this blog, know I love a simple steak with flavored butter melted on top. So, when I read this recipe for chipotle roast chicken tacos, I knew that the butter recipe (intended to be rubbed under chicken skin then roasted) would also be great on steak. Not to mention the smokey chipotle will marry perfectly with the steak.

I paired it with a poblano, potato and corn gratin – and it was a great twist on a traditional steak and potatoes. Thanks to Bon Appetit for the potato recipe and for inspiring my steak recipe!

CHIPOTLE BUTTER STEAK
Serves 4

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves plus 3 fresh oregano sprigs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves plus 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed in resealable plastic bag with mallet
4 flank steaks

Using fork, mix butter, all chopped herbs, chipotle chiles, and crushed coriander in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

Cook steak (grill, stove or oven) until done as desired. While steak is resting (at least 10 minutes), place dollop of butter on top, so it melts.

POBLANO, POTATO, AND CORN GRATIN
Serves 8

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 large fresh poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, cut into 2×1/4-inch strips
1 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup coarsely grated Oaxaca cheese or whole-milk mozzarella cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups half and half
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub 9 1/2-inch-diameter deep-dish glass pie dish or cast-iron skillet with 2 teaspoons oil. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add poblano strips and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Arrange 1/3 of potato rounds, overlapping slightly, in prepared pie dish. Sprinkle 1/3 of poblano strips over, then 1/3 of corn and 1/3 of cheese. Repeat with 1/3 of potatoes, 1/3 of poblanos, 1/3 of corn, and 1/3 of cheese. Top with remaining potatoes, poblanos, and corn, reserving remaining 1/3 of cheese. Place pie dish on rimmed baking sheet.

Whisk half and half, flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in small bowl. Pour over potato mixture in pie dish; press potatoes to submerge. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle remaining cheese over gratin. Continue to bake gratin until potatoes are tender and cheese is golden brown, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Scallops Gratin

For New Year’s Eve, my husband and I rarely like to go out. The streets are crowded, the bars are crowded – and it always SEEMS like a good idea until you are in line for a drink for 20 minutes after paying $40 to get in the door! So our New Years always consist of either small gatherings with friends, or a night just the two of us.

This year I decided to make something a bit different, and have a romantic dinner with my husband. Since I cook dinner from scratch almost every night, it doesn’t seem very “special.” So, I thought doing something way out of my wheelhouse would do the trick (that and a pricey bottle of wine!).

I saw Ina Garten make scallops gratin earlier during the week and I was always intrigued (and a bit scared). I don’t make fish or seafood too often because it isn’t my husband’s favorite, so I feared I would be so clueless I would mess it up. But Ina made it look SO easy! She even made it for a dinner party in advance, and threw it in the oven for 12 minutes while her guests arrived! Who doesn’t need a great party recipe like that?!

So after making the decision to go out on a limb (and run the risk of having a take out backup plan) I started making my list of ingredients. The problem was, however, I had nothing to bake them in! Sure, I could throw them in a 8 x 8 glass dish or stuff them in tiny ramekins. But Ina had such beautiful bowls – individual gratin bowls – that I just had to have.

I am embarrassed to say after a VERY expensive trip to Sur la Table (you can never buy things in just 2s, right?) I had the perfect dishes to make the perfect meal.

The meal was delicious! My husband still isn’t a huge scallop fan but said “if I ever were to eat scallops, it would be just like this!” which seemed like a ringing endorsement to me! They were cooked perfectly and with amazing, sophisticated flavors. No tips on this recipe other than to just follow directions and you will be fine. Only thing to note is do go by the pounds on the servings – the portions never seem like enough but the scallops are so rich they go further than you think.

So, enjoy this great meal and here’s to a great New Year!

SCALLOP GRATIN
6 Servings

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 large garlic cloves, minced (I would maybe pull this back a bit if you aren’t really into tons of garlic – it is a lot!)
2 medium shallots, minced
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma, minced
4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons Pernod (optional – I made without since I didn’t have any!)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (the recipe calls for 2 but I recommend 1 since the prosciutto is so salty)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 cup panko
6 tablespoons dry white wine
2 pound fresh bay scallops
Lemon, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place 6 (6-inch round) gratin dishes on a sheet pan.

To make the topping, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the garlic, shallot, prosciutto, parsley, lemon juice, Pernod (if using), salt, and pepper and mix until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the olive oil slowly as though making mayonnaise, until combined. Fold the panko in with a rubber spatula and set aside.

Preheat the broiler, if it’s separate from your oven.

Place 1 tablespoon of the wine in the bottom of each gratin dish. With a small sharp knife, remove the white muscle and membrane from the side of each scallop and discard (if present). Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and distribute them among the 3 dishes. Spoon the garlic butter evenly over the top of the scallops. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the topping is golden and sizzling and the scallops are barely done. If you want the top crustier, place the dishes under the broiler for 2 minutes, until browned. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve immediately with crusty French bread.