Potato Gratin

Before

After

The word 'gratin' usually brings to mind anything covered in a thick, heavy dairy-based sauce, usually made with cream and featuring cheese as a sidekick. This recipe is light, flavorful and will have everyone coming back for seconds. The base recipe is vegetarian but can be tweaked to feed everyone from vegans to meat eaters. There are few ingredients but the ones featured are greatly flavorful. You can make this as a side to meat-based dishes or make it for a meatless night. Don't be put off by the residual liquid in the pan - this is normal and is excellent when sopped up with a piece of crusty bread.

Potato Gratin

1 garlic clove

5 large baking potatoes, peeled

1 medium onion

3 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

2½ cups vegetable or chicken stock

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of grated nutmeg

2 small ham steaks, cubed (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the garlic clove in half and rub the cut surface over the bottom and sides of a shallow gratin dish.

Slice the potatoes and onion thinly using a mandoline. Arrange 1/3 of them in the dish, starting with the potatoes as the base layer. Add some of the ham cubes, if using. Sprinkle evenly with some of the Parmesan cheese, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Pour some of the stock over the potatoes to keep them from discoloring. Continue layering the potatoes and onions as before, then add the remaining stock. Sprinkle the top with the grated nutmeg.

Bake for 1¼ - 1½ hours or until the potatoes are tender and the top is well-browned. Serve immediately with crusty bread and a light green salad, if desired.

Serves 4 - 6