POTATO, ONION AND PARMESAN GRATIN

Love this recipe; it's delicious and heavy...pure comfort food on a cold winter's night. If you wanted to cut some calories and fat, I am sure that it would be just as wonderful with milk instead of the cream.

Potato, Onion and Parmesan Gratin
Adapted Loosely from Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Vegetables Cookbook: Mushroom and Potato Gratin recipe
Serves 4-6

1 Tbs. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 fresh thyme sprigs, plus 1 1/2 tsp. minced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 Tbs. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a saucepan, combine the cream, garlic, thyme sprigs, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Peel the potatoes (optional) and using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut them into slices about 1/8 inch thick. Gently stir the potato slices into the cream mixture, cover and let stand while you cook the onion.

In a fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and melt the 1 Tbs. butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and sauté until translucent and slightly brown on edges. Add the minced thyme with a pinch of pepper and cook for 1 minute.

Arrange one-third of the potato slices, slightly overlapping, on the bottom of the prepared dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and 1 Tbs. of the cheese. Spread half of the onions over the potatoes and sprinkle with 1 Tbs. of the cheese. Repeat these layers, using half of the remaining potatoes and all of the remaining onions, and sprinkling with salt, pepper and 1 Tbs. cheese between the layers of vegetables. Top with the remaining potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using a large, flat spatula, gently press on the vegetables to compact them. Pour the cream mixture through a strainer or simply remove the thyme sprigs and add the cream mixture into the dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the mixture is golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes more.

Let the gratin rest for about 10 minutes, then use a sharp-bladed spatula to cut it into squares and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.


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