Stracchino Potato Gratin
This simple, hearty dish just may replace your main. Lightly seasoned with nutmeg and thyme, this recipe truly highlights the milky tang of stracchino cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 shallots minced
- 2 thyme sprigs stems removed and chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces stracchino cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 pounds russet potatoes
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F.
- Warm olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add thyme and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add stracchino, stirring until melted. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
- Slice potatoes on a mandolin at 1⁄16-inch thick and place in cold water. Slices should be thin and translucent.
- Lightly grease an 8-by 8-inch pan and line with parchment paper. Add a flat layer of potatoes to the pan. Spoon just enough sauce over the potatoes to cover the layer. Repeat layering potatoes and sauce until the pan is almost full. Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and cook for an additional 10 to 20 minutes, or until a knife passes through the middle with no resistance. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Derek Bissonnette
A former chef who worked in bakeries and three Michelin-starred restaurants throughout America and Europe, Derek Bissonnette has switched gears and now documents his passion for creating food with his camera (One Cheese, Five Ways, p. 25). Derek is the author and photographer of six cookbooks and is currently working on his seventh. He combines his skills for recipe development, styling, and photography at his studio in Saco, Maine.
