Potato Gratin

I made these beauties a couple of evenings ago. Nothing is more beautiful than golden, bubbly cheese. I put these together on a whim because I didn't know what I was going to make for a main dish. I figured the 30-40 minutes they took to cook would provide me with plenty of time to figure it out. I wasn't so thrilled with what I came up with while these cooked (I can't even remember what I made), but I do remember these guys.

I made just a small pan of them. Last year, I purchased a cute little glass baking dish at IKEA. I think it's in the 6 x 10 inch range, but you can mix this to fit any size pan or crowd. This was a great amount for just the two of us.

First, I peeled and sliced four medium potatoes. Slice them pretty thinly so they cook quickly. Then minced up some shallot and parsley and toss them into a bowl with the taters. Throw in some olive oil, salt, pepper, freshly grated Parmesan, and heavy cream. Toss to mix and loosely layer into a baking dish. I love the flavor the shallots add to this dish. You could use onions in a pinch, but I think shallots are really the way to go.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes, until the cheese is nice and golden and bubble and the potatoes are nice and tender. I like to test them with a fork to be sure they're ready.

Potato Gratin
Yield: serves 2-3

4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 TBS extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 tsp ground sea salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 TBS minced fresh parsley
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 TBS minced shallot
1/3 cup heavy cream

In a bowl, toss together the potatoes, 2 TBS of the oil, the salt, pepper, parsley, approximately half of the cheese, the shallot, and the cream. Pour into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and finish with a drizzle of the remaining 2 TBS of oil.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbly and the potatoes are nice and tender.