Best scalloped potatoes
I need to put this recipe to rest and quit playing around with it. I made the cookswork version today which is more like a flan and not very creamy. Also not very good. I saw a couple on epicurious one with goat cheese and one with 3 cheeses that looked interesting.
Anyway... how do you make this and why do you like it.
What kind of potato... cut thin or thick.
What kind of cheese... or combinations
Heavy cream or milk... does milk always seem to curdle
How many layers... 3 or more than 3
Do you use a bechamel or not
Do you use onions... or some other ingredients
How do you prepare each layer... with cream or not
Why makes for a really creamy dish... more cream or more cheese.
T.Davis
Jul 17, 2003 12:02AM
Patricia Wells' "Bistro Cooking" has several excellent versions of the French potato gratin.
But to answer your questions....
The potato most often suggested is the russet.
Very thin slices are best.
Gruyere is the cheese of choice.
Heavy cream, definitely. It will not curdle.
3 layers are sufficient.
No bechamel.
Onions are not included in the "classic" gratin.
Each layer gets both cheese and cream.
The more cheese and cream you use, the richer the gratin will be.
As for other ingredients, rubbing the pan with a garlic clove before layering will help perfume the dish. You can also flavor it with a *very* light sprinkling of grated nutmeg on each layer.
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I would only add that, if you need a slightly leaner version or want more fluid than your cream supply allows, Cooks Illustrated identified that a mild stock proves better than milk as the additional fluid (and, after testing their recipe, I agree with their verdict).
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This Cook's Illustrated recipe from two or three years back in their Holiday time edition is the best one I have ever made, and uses a milk/chicken stock bechamel that is just the right balance of creamy/savory. I think they used Yukon Golds.
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I agree. I used to have a customize knock-off of a very rich Julia Child recipe that was my standard, but I found I actually prefer the Cooks Illustrated version and now consider that my standard. The use of the stock solves the curdling problem and also allows all the flavors to be tasted at their best. To me, it is one of the good examples of when CI's empirical approach really can lead to significant improvement over classic recipes (which is not always the case).
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I too find that the Cooks Illustrated recipe with chicken stock is my new favorite.
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my favorite scalloped potatoes, though far from classic:
not too thinly sliced potatoes, russett or some other kind of baking potato, 50/50 mix of grated sharp cheddar and muenster, some light sprinkles of flour.
That's basically it. butter a baking dish. lay down some potatoes, top with cheese, then a little flour, then more potatoes. Bake it for about 1 or 1 1/2 hours in a low oven covered, then take the lid off and let the cheese on top crusticize (the technical term for it).
It's a hardy but amazing dish. Plus after it's served the cook gets to chip off and eat the baked on cheese from the sides.
Ben
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I make a non-traditional version of scalloped potatoes, but it comes out really tasty.
Potatoes: russets or yukon gold sliced thin, but with the peel still on
Cheese: brie plus odds and ends of whatever else is in the fridge (brie makes it come out very creamy with an interesting flavor). Smoked gouda also adds a really nice flavor. Gruyere that someone mentioned below sounds like a great idea, too.
Liquid: milk or soy milk
Plus shallots, freshly ground pepper (lots), capers, whole wheat flour, butter and salt. Sometimes I add fresh herbs like thyme or, very sparingly, rosemary, but usually I don't.
I make layers of potatoes topped with all the other ingredients plus dabs of butter and whole wheat flour sprinkled on top. I do however many layers as will fit in the dish I'm using, but usually 3. The top layer gets only cheese, butter, salt & pepper. Fill about 3/4's with milk or soy milk. No need for cream with the cheese, and I find soy milk doesn't adversely affect the texture or flavor while being more heart healthy and adding protein.
Cook for about 40 minutes with cover and last 15 without to properly brown the top. I usually cook at 375-400. Your cooking times will vary depending on how deep a dish you are using.
This recipe is also good adapted for vegan friends by omitting the cheese, using soy milk and replacing the butter with EVOO. I usually add the fresh herbs if I make a vegan version.
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this is one of my favorite dishes from my arsenal - friends beg me to bring it to group dinners winter and summer. it's a "less fat" version - but very rich. the onion layer is what makes it!! please pardon my lack of specific ingredient amounts - I wing it every time - but always turns out perfect...
- You need a large rectangle glass casserole dish, thoroughly greased up with butter. set over to 375
- Take a 5lb bag of russet potatoes. scrub em real good and trim off brown spots (i like to use em with the skins on - but either way is good). slice the potatoes as thin as you can get em. this dish takes 3 layers of potatoes, and each layer seems to take 3-4 good sized potatoes to cover a casserole layer.
- Slice 1-2 yellow onions very thin
- Grate up a large chunk of cheddar (about 12 oz) and half a chunk of sharp Swiss or gruyere (about 6-8 oz) and toss together.
-Mix salt and pepper and a little onion/garlic/cayenne powder (or Emeril's seasoning) with about 4 tablespoons of floor
- You'll also need about 1 cup of 2% low fat milk
Now you are ready to assemble... layer 1/3 of potatoes in bottom of pan overlapping 1/2 of each slice with the next. Then dust the layer with 1/3 of flour mixture, then layer all onions on top and a small sprinkling of cheese (this is the onion layer)
add another layer of 1/3 potatoes, sprinkle 1/3 flour mixture, and layer with about 1/2 of all cheese grated (this is the cheese layer)
add final layer of potatoes, final dusting of floor, and slowly pour milk evenly over entire top (it will drizzle through to bottom), put about 2 tbs of butter in small dabs around top, and add final cheese to cover top (this cheese layer gets very crispy, so I use about 1/4 of the cheese grated, and put most of the cheese on the inside layer)
bake for 30 min with no top, after 30 min it should be very nicely brown on top. cover with foil and bake for final 30 min (take foil off for last 5 min)
let stand for 5 min before serving. it's even better day 2!
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I also advocate for the skins-on approach. It is both tastier and more nutritious.
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