Featured Recipe
Potato Ham Au Gratin
By Kate
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Layered potato and ham gratin with creamy texture and browned cheese top. Uses Yukon Gold potatoes swapped for Russet; smoked Gouda replaces Reblochon for a milder, smoky twist. Onions softened in olive oil, white wine replaced with dry sherry. Slow baking encourages melding flavors, cheese browns with crispy edges. Avoid peeling potatoes too early; retaining some skin adds rustic texture and keeps slices intact. Cream adds richness; opt for 30% fat to prevent curdling. Recipe adjusted for altered quantities and timing, balancing softness and bite. Simple, hearty, classic gratin with modern substitutions.
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Prep:
35 min
Cook:
55 min
Total:
Serves:
6 servings
comfort food
casserole
cheesy dish
Introduction
Not the usual Russet spud grub. Yukon Gold gives creamier bite, less starchy fall-apart. No peeling frenzy; skin stays, adding texture and nutrients. Using dry sherry instead of white wine. Adds complexity, depth. Shallots over onions — sweeter, subtle punch — need slow patience in oil to coax flavors out, not rushed in butter. Smoked Gouda replaces Reblochon, more accessible, milder smoky notes. Ham split two ways: strips mingle with shallots; torn thick slices break monotony in layers.
Oven timed at 190 C, not 200. Slower, gentler bake melts cream, cheese without drying top too fast. Peel after the boil — skin clings too when hot, tears your slices. Let rest; piping hot potatoes are like a ticking bomb for burns and breakage. Cream 30%, little less than original, avoids greasy puddles in final dish but holds silkiness. Plan for 6 hungry souls; classic, hearty comfort in golden layers, rich aroma carrying from oven is kitchen poetry.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Yukon Gold carries less starch, creamier texture than Russet; peels left on add rustic feel and hold better during cooking. Smoked ham offers more flavor than plain boiled; slicing half into strips boosts even flavor distribution. Shallots replace traditional onions for gentler sweetness and finer texture; cook slowly in olive oil to prevent burning and bitterness. Dry sherry replaces white wine, cooks down to a nutty aroma, less sharp acidity. Smoked Gouda, firmer than Reblochon, melts well but adds smoky edge. Cream at 30% fat balances richness and prevents separation. Salt and pepper to taste, added cautiously more at end if needed — ham and cheese already salty.
Method
Technique Tips
Start with cold water boil for potatoes; gradual heating avoids cracked skins and mushiness inside. Cook till knife feels tenderness but slice intact; overboiling leads to watery, falling-apart gratin. Resting potatoes cools enough to peel without losing moisture or damaging slices. Slice evenly at ~1.2 cm thickness; too thin confuses textures, too thick prolongs baking unevenly.
Sauté shallots gently; watch for soft translucency and slight gold, not burnt edges. Evaporate sherry fully — important to lose raw alcohol and concentrate sweetness. Combine ham strips just before removing from heat to warm without cooking toughness.
Layer potatoes first to seal bottom; layer shallots and ham to inject flavor between. Tear whole ham for rustic appeal tucked between potato layers. Cream poured slowly to saturate without flooding. Cheese placed rind-up browns crisply, adds texture contrast.
Use rimmed tray under to catch cream spill; common kitchen saves. Baking time adjusted to 55 min, visual cues tell final doneness: bubbling cream, browned edges, firm but yielding potato.
Rest 10 minutes post-bake to let juices redistribute, plate cleaner, flavor deeper. Optional broil step if top lacks brown spots; minutes only, watch closely. Avoid rush in peeling; lame slicing results in uneven cooking. Trust sensory signals over clock — sight, touch, smell dictate when to pull from heat.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Use Yukon Gold potatoes. Creamy, less starchy. Don't peel too early. Keeps rustic feel. Slices won’t break down. Rest after boiling; cool, then slice. Even thickness is key. About 1.2 cm works well. Too thin? Watery mess, too thick? Inconsistency in baking.
- 💡 Shallots slowly cooked in olive oil till gold. No burnt flavors, just sweet sweet aroma. Goes great with ham. Add sherry. Evaporate fully. Concentrates sweetness. Raw alcohol? No, thanks. Time matters. Wait for bubbling reduction.
- 💡 Layering matters a lot. Start with potatoes, then shallots with ham. Add enough cream, just don't drown. Pour carefully. Cheese on top, rind up for that crispy finish. Gotta catch spillovers, rimmed tray helps. Keep your eyes on the oven.
- 💡 Baking takes patience. At about 55 minutes, check for bubbling edges, golden top. Let cool for 10 minutes, yes, 10. Sets flavors nicely. Cheese will brown up nicely. Want more? Broil carefully, just a couple minutes.
- 💡 Skin left on potatoes? Yes, adds flavor and texture. Cuts down on peeling fuss too. Cooking shallots takes time but delivers results. Patience is a skill in the kitchen, just like layering flavors.
