SCALLOPED POTATOES

One of my most faithful followers has asked me for a recipe for potatoes. As I told him, I've previously posted a recipe for roasted potatoes with rosemary or thyme (see the post on Side Dishes). But this recipe for what is essentially scalloped potatoes (here referred to rather grandly as a potato gratin) is really a very special way to present potatoes.

I guess it was my sister's Irish blood that made her love potatoes so much. She told me many times that she could make a meal of potatoes alone. Our family holiday dinners at the farm always included her scalloped potatoes and remembering them fondly, I've consulted many cookbooks for the ultimate recipe. A couple of my favorites include fennel, an anise flavored vegetable that is hard and not very appetizing when raw, but delicious when cooked, with a faintly aniselike flavor. The recipe that follows is my conglomeration of two, one from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and the other from a cookbook (devoted solely to potatoes) that I found at a yard sale. I'm sure my sister would have loved both.

This recipe calls for slicing the fennel and potatoes so they're very thin, best and most easily done with a mandoline but if you don't have one, just slice them with a sharp knife so they're as thin as you can possibly make them. Be careful not to cut your fingers. Don't skimp on fresh herbs, especially the tarragon, which makes all the difference between good scalloped potatoes and spectacular ones.

FENNEL POTATO GRATIN

serves 10



2 small fennel bulbs

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 T good olive oil

1 T unsalted butter

2 lb russet potatoes (about 4 large)

2 C plus 2 T heavy cream

1 T chopped fresh tarragon

1 T chopped fresh thyme

2 1/2 C grated Gruyere cheese (about 1/2 lb; see note below)

1 t kosher salt

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the inside of a 10 x 15 x 2 inch baking dish.

2. Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium low heat for 15 minutes, or until tender.

3. Peel the potatoes and thinly slice them on a mandoline or by hand. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyere cheese, chopped thyme and chopped tarragon, salt and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well.

4. Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to compress the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender (check by piercing one with a fork or knife) and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

Note: while the Gruyere cheese adds a wonderful slightly nutty flavor to the dish, it's a lot more expensive than parmesan, which can be a reasonable subsitute. But not the kind that comes in a green cylindar, please. Use good parmesan and grate it yourself (or grate it in a food processor).

To make ahead: the dish can be completely assembled and held, covered with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, buttered side down, in the refrigerator. Bring the gratin back to room temperature and remove the foil before proceeding with the baking.