The Upper Crust Potato Gratin Recipes

UPPER CRUST POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375*F. Oil the bottom of a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
• Peel and very thinly slice potatoes. Put them in a mixing bowl and add 3/4 cup of the cream. Mix, and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a skillet, and add the shallots(or scallions) and garlic. Saute over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown.
• Add bay leaves and rosemary to skillet. Whisk in the cream cheese, milk, and remaining 3/4 cup cream. Simmer, whisking constantly, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the paprika and salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaves and pour the mixture over the potatoes; toss gently.
• Arrange the potato mixture in a baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle it first with the Parmesan, and then with bread crumbs.
• Bake until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown and bubbly, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Sprinkle the parsley over and serve immediately. Enjoy!

THE ULTIMATE POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Finely shred the cabbage. Cut the bacon into 1/2-inch chunks. Place a small skillet over medium-low heat and fry the bacon, until crisp. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon butter to bacon fat in frying pan. When it has melted add 1/2 the garlic and give it a quick stir with a wooden spoon to soften. Add the cabbage and coat it with the butter. Slowly let it wilt. Add the bacon. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and add most of the chives, reserving a little for the garnish.
• Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch ovenproof casserole dish. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 1/2 cups of cream, 1 cup of Parmesan, and the remaining garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using your hands, place a layer of potatoes in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and repeat with 2 more layers. Spoon the cabbage mixture on top and spread it out evenly over the potatoes. Top it off with 2 more layers of potato and Parmesan. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream over the dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
• Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Leave for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives.
• *Cook's Note: Slice the potatoes immediately before using so they don't turn brown.

THE "UPPER CRUST" POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375'. Peel and thinly slice potatoes. If desired, rinse the potatoes to rid of starch. Dry thoroughly in a thick towel. In a large saucepan, combine potatoes, milk, bouquet garni, nutmeg, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the butter, and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Stir occasionally to prevent potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to moderate and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart, about 10 minutes.

PRETTY DARN QUICK POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Fit a food processor with shredding disk and use it to shred cheese. Transfer to a small bowl. Fit processor with slicing disk and use it to slice potatoes.
• Put potatoes in a large saucepan with half-and-half, garlic, salt, and nutmeg; stir gently to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook at a gentle boil, stirring often with a heat-safe spatula to prevent sticking, until half-and-half has reduced and thickly coats potatoes, about 8 minutes.
• Spoon into prepared baking dish. Smooth top and sprinkle evenly with cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 14-inch oval gratin dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Put the cream, stock, bay leaf, and salt in a medium pot, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and let steep while you prepare the potatoes.
• Peel the potatoes. Use a mandoline slicer or a knife to cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Neatly layer the slices in the gratin dish, overlapping slightly, like shingles on a rooftop, making 3 or 4 layers. It's important to slice the potatoes and immediately assemble the gratin, before the potatoes oxidize and turn brown. Avoid putting the potatoes in water. You don't want to rinse off any of the potato starch-the starch is essential for a rich, creamy gratin.
• Remove the bay leaf from the cream mixture and discard. Gently pour the mixture over the potatoes. The liquid level should be just below the surface of the potatoes; when you gently press the potatoes down with a spatula, the cream mixture should spill over the top layer of potatoes. Dot the remaining 2 tablespoons butter on top, and cover tightly with foil.
• Bake until the potatoes are almost tender when pierced with a small, sharp knife, about 35 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Press the potatoes down with a spatula to an even thickness, allowing the creamy juices to baste the top. Sprinkle the thyme and black pepper on top. Continue to bake, uncovered, pressing the potatoes down with a spatula to baste periodically, until the gratin is nicely browned, about 30 minutes. (It's okay if the gratin is a little loose and creamy at this point.) Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving, to allow the gratin to settle and absorb some of the cream.