I'm not sure just how often you
get excited about potatoes, but that is about to change. These potatoes are
going to excite you, your family, and your friends in a major way. This past
week we had our baseball bud, Lennie, over for dinner. We see Len about three
times a month, or more, during the baseball season.
I was in the mood to cook the day he was scheduled to come (fortunate for us both, I think), and began at ten thirty that morning. Instead of trying my usual one new recipe, as I do when he joins us, I was trying four. The main dish was a tried-and-true good one, Marinated Pork Tenderloin, so I was safe there, and I knew that garden peas with sauteed mushrooms was a winner as well. To accompany this I tried Cannellini Bean Dip for a snack, Marinated Cucumber Salad (good, but still needs some tweaking), Oatmeal Cake for dessert, and a recipe that I had been thinking about at night before I fell asleep (I do that sometimes. Most times. Okay, ALL of the time, if you must know.), au gratin potatoes to which hydrated dried wild mushrooms have been added.
I'll tell you what, when you create something that makes people moan, you know that you have a success on your hands. Lennie said the entire meal was delicious, but that the potatoes were outstanding. My dad, to whom I delivered this same meal the following day, called it exceptional, citing the potatoes in particular. The potatoes! Have you ever had anyone fuss so much about potatoes? You will now.
This recipe is not difficult, but really demands the use of a mandolin. The slices need to be very thin in order to get the proper potato-to-mushroom ratio. Elegant enough for company with its earthy flavor from the chanterelles, and nuttiness from the Gruyere, this is the dish that people will be talking about the next day. Yes, it is that good!
I was in the mood to cook the day he was scheduled to come (fortunate for us both, I think), and began at ten thirty that morning. Instead of trying my usual one new recipe, as I do when he joins us, I was trying four. The main dish was a tried-and-true good one, Marinated Pork Tenderloin, so I was safe there, and I knew that garden peas with sauteed mushrooms was a winner as well. To accompany this I tried Cannellini Bean Dip for a snack, Marinated Cucumber Salad (good, but still needs some tweaking), Oatmeal Cake for dessert, and a recipe that I had been thinking about at night before I fell asleep (I do that sometimes. Most times. Okay, ALL of the time, if you must know.), au gratin potatoes to which hydrated dried wild mushrooms have been added.
I'll tell you what, when you create something that makes people moan, you know that you have a success on your hands. Lennie said the entire meal was delicious, but that the potatoes were outstanding. My dad, to whom I delivered this same meal the following day, called it exceptional, citing the potatoes in particular. The potatoes! Have you ever had anyone fuss so much about potatoes? You will now.
This recipe is not difficult, but really demands the use of a mandolin. The slices need to be very thin in order to get the proper potato-to-mushroom ratio. Elegant enough for company with its earthy flavor from the chanterelles, and nuttiness from the Gruyere, this is the dish that people will be talking about the next day. Yes, it is that good!
Potatoes au Gratin with Chanterelles
1 .5-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried Chanterelles, hydrated, drained, and rough chopped
1 .5-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried Chanterelles, hydrated, drained, and rough chopped
¾ teaspoon minced garlic
1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyere
1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyere
To hydrate mushrooms: Empty
packet of dried mushrooms into a deep bowl and cover with 1 cup of warm water.
Allow to soak for 20-30 minutes until hydrated. Drain mushrooms through a fine
mesh sieve 2-3 times in order to remove all grit.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350ยบF.
Peel potatoes and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices (preferably with an adjustable-blade slicer). Bring potatoes, cream, milk, salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and garlic to a boil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot, stirring occasionally; remove from heat.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer half of potatoes to a buttered 1-1/2 quart gratin dish, spreading evenly. Spread mushrooms evenly over potatoes, top with remaining potatoes. Pour cooking liquid over potatoes and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake gratin until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender, 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350ยบF.
Peel potatoes and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices (preferably with an adjustable-blade slicer). Bring potatoes, cream, milk, salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and garlic to a boil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot, stirring occasionally; remove from heat.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer half of potatoes to a buttered 1-1/2 quart gratin dish, spreading evenly. Spread mushrooms evenly over potatoes, top with remaining potatoes. Pour cooking liquid over potatoes and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake gratin until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender, 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
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