Provencal Potato Gratin Recipes

JULIA CHILD'S PROVENçAL POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees and place a rack at the middle level. In a large saucepan, combine onions and 2 tablespoons olive oil and stir to coat over low heat. Sprinkle lightly with salt. At a gentle simmer, cook uncovered until onions are softened and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often. Do not brown; lower the heat if necessary. When done, fold in tomatoes just until heated through. Set aside.
• In a small food processor or a mortar, add the anchovies - anywhere from 6 to 12 fillets, depending on their size and your taste. Add garlic, herbs and a dozen grinds of pepper. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil (or use the oil from the anchovy can, if you like). Crush or pulse together into a chunky paste, thinning with oil as needed to make a loose, fluid mixture.
• In a medium-size baking dish, spread a quarter of the onion-tomato mixture. On top, arrange half the potato slices, then half the anchovy mixture. Add half the remaining onion-tomato mixture. Build one more layer with remaining potato slices, anchovy mixture and onion-tomato mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top and drizzle with olive oil.
• If the dish is very full, place on a baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, uncovered, until potatoes are tender and have absorbed all of the juices in the bottom of the dish, 40 to 50 minutes. Test by tasting a bit of potato; it should be soft all the way through, with no raw taste. If the top is browning too fast, cover very loosely with a sheet of foil. If the top is not brown enough when the potatoes are cooked, broil briefly until deliciously glazed.
• Serve gratin hot or warm. Can be cooled and reheated later the same day, but do not refrigerate.

HERBES DE PROVENCE POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Peel and wash the potatoes and slice them really thinly using a plastic mandoline.
• Generously butter a 12-inch ovenproof baking or gratin dish (about 2 1/2 to 3-quarts).
• In a small saucepan, bring the half-and-half, garlic cloves and herbes de Provence to a simmer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove the garlic cloves. Set aside.
• Arrange the potatoes in an overlapping layer on the bottom of the dish. Season the layer generously with salt and pepper. Scatter lightly with some of the grated cheese. Make another potato and cheese layer, finishing with a most generous cheesing.
• Press the layers down gently. Pour the half-and-half mixture over the potato layers and fill the dish up to the top of the potatoes. Cover the dish loosely with foil so it is not touching the cheese on top and bake 30 minutes, uncover and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and nicely browned.
• Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 7 by 11-inch baking dish with olive oil.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add onions, garlic and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until completely softened and cooked but not browned. Stir in the basil and thyme. Spread on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
• Toss the sliced vegetables with the remaining olive oil and salt, and pepper. With the long side of the baking dish facing you, alternate the sliced vegetables in compact upright rows on top of the onion mixture.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the vegetables are softened, about 30 to 35 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Continue baking until cheese begins to brown, about 20 minutes or so. Serve hot or at room temperature.
• Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.

PROVENCAL SUMMER SQUASH AND POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly mist a shallow 2-quart baking or gratin dish with cooking spray.
• Thinly slice the squash, zucchini, potato, and onion 1/4-inch thick with a mandolin or by hand. Shingle the vegetables in the prepared baking dish in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the rosemary leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake until the potatoes are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove the foil; sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 45 minutes more. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PROVENCAL POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and olives in a medium bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat vegetables.
• Fold parchment piece in half, cut into a half-heart shape, and open. Place vegetable mixture on parchment, 2 to 3 inches from the crease, and scatter rosemary and thyme sprigs on top. Fold the other half of parchment over the ingredients. Make small overlapping folds to seal the edges, starting at the top of the heart.
• Two inches from the end, twist the parchment twice, gently but firmly, to seal the packet. Place packet on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and open packet. Use your fingers to crumble the herbs, discarding the stems. (Don't worry about burning your fingers; the sprigs will have dried during cooking and the leaves will come off the stems easily.) Carefully pull off the skin of the tomatoes, which will have loosened. Using a fork, break up the tomatoes and stir into the potatoes. Serve immediately.

PROVENçAL LEG OF LAMB WITH POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large saucepan, bring the potatoes, salt and milk to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally so the potatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring from time to time, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Combine the parsley and garlic and sprinkle half into a large oval gratin dish, measuring about 16 by 10 by 2 inches. Spoon the potato-and-milk mixture into the pan and sprinkle with the remaining parsley and garlic mixture.
• Carefully trim the fat from the lamb. Season with salt and pepper and place the lamb on top of the potatoes. Roast, uncovered, about one hour, or from eight to 10 minutes per pound. Do not turn the lamb.
• Combine the ingredients for the herb crust. After the lamb has been roasting for about 45 minutes, sprinkle the meat with the herb, garlic and bread-crumb mixture. Remove from the oven and let sit 20 minutes before serving.
• To serve, carve the lamb into thin slices and arrange on warmed dinner plates or on a serving platter, with the potatoes alongside.

PROVENCAL TOMATO POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Brush a shallow baking pan (1/2 to 1 inch deep) with 2 tablespoons oil. Arrange tomato slices in 1 layer in baking pan and sprinkle with a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast tomatoes until just tender (not falling apart), about 20 minutes.
• While tomatoes roast, cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and toss with 5 tablespoons oil in a large bowl.
• Remove tomatoes from oven and put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Arrange potato slices in 1 layer in 2 shallow baking pans (1/2 to 1 inch deep) and sprinkle each pan with a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast potatoes, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until tender, about 16 minutes total.
• While potatoes roast, mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife. Transfer paste to a bowl and stir in bread crumbs, basil, thyme, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Preheat broiler.
• Arrange tomatoes and potatoes in 1 layer in gratin dish, alternating slices and overlapping them, and spoon any juices from tomatoes into dish. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and broil 5 to 7 inches from heat, checking frequently after 1 minute (crumbs can brown quickly), until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.