notes
gluten free: OK tips friday
Gratin Dauphinoise
Serves: 4 Cooked: at oven temp 375F / 190C
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 1½ hours at least
½ onion, peeled and finely chopped 125ml cream 25g butter, plus a little extra
½ teaspoon garlic granules or 1 clove
1 tablespoon oil peeled and crushed 3 very large potatoes, peeled / thinly 100g grated Emmental or Beaufort cheese sliced salt and pepper
125ml milk
1. Place the onion, butter and oil in a saucepan over a gentle heat with the lid on. Allow the onions to cook for 5 minutes or until they are soft and translucent. 2. Butter the inside of an ovenproof dish and arrange the potatoes, scattering the onions between the layers. 3. Put the milk, cream, garlic, salt and pepper into the empty onion pan( so you can use all the flavour of the softened onions) and bring to the boil. Pour over the potatoes so the liquid comes ¾ way up the sides of the dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1hr at 375F / 190C. 4. Lift off the foil and stick a knife into the potatoes to see if the potatoes are cooked. They should be absolutely soft( nothing crunchy!) If they are not cooked through put them back into the oven, covered, for a further 15 minutes and test again. When they are completely cooked through, remove the foil and sprinkle with the grated cheese. 5. Return to the oven, this time uncovered, for a further 30 minutes. At the end of this time the potatoes should be golden brown with a thick creamy sauce, if they look dry add a little more cream, if there is a lot of thin liquid spoon some out and discard.
notes
Gratin Dauphinoise was first mentioned in print on the 12th July 1788 at a municipal dinner in the town of Gap in the Dauphine( not far from the ski resorts of Les Deux Alpes and Alpe d’ Huez). It was apparently served with‘ ortolans’- a small French bird similar to quail. An historic dish then adopted by the mountain folk of the Isere and Savoie using their local cheeses.
In the past you used to have to salt aubergines, leave them, wash the salt off and then cook because they were very tough skinned and needed‘ degorging’ of harsh flavour but these days they are mild and farmed so there is no need to do this or indeed there is no real benefit in doing it. Simply run them under a little water as it stops them soaking too much oil when cooking.
Don’ t think garlic granules are second best here, if they are allowed simply to re-hydrate then they are fab, and this is what you are doing here with both the garlic and parsley. It is more difficult to get the flavour of the garlic all over the aubergine if using fresh.
Roast garlic aubergine
Serves: 4 Cooked: at oven temp 375F / 190C
2 small aubergines 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper
Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 30-40 minutes
1 dessert spoon lemon juice( can be bottled)
1 teaspoon garlic granules 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1. Quarter each aubergine and put into a colander. Run under cold water for a minute, this will prevent the aubergine soaking up too much oil. 2. Put into a roasting tin and drizzle the oil over generously. Season with salt and pepper and roast uncovered for 30 minutes or until really well browned, and soft inside. 3. While still hot and in the tin drizzle the lemon juice over and sprinkle with garlic granules and parsley. Allow this dish to cool and then re-heat in same tin for 10 minutes before serving. These are better cooked ahead. dietary requirements for potatoes, aubergine and peas:
vegetarian: OK
vegan: NO, omit cream from pea purée and cook a single portion of gratin in a small dish using stock in place of butter, cream and milk and omit cheese
dairy free: NO, as vegan
nut free: OK
gluten free: OK tips friday
Gratin: This reheats brilliantly. Make this in the morning or well ahead of time. They can keep warm for up to an hour or re-heat at 375F / 190C for 30 minutes un-covered with the cheese sprinkled over. NOTE- if re-heating, only cook the potatoes up to the point where the cheese topping is added. The potatoes must be cooked through or they will go brown as they sit during the day partially cooked.
Undercooked spongy aubergine can be a real turn off. These should be slightly charred, really soft inside and sticky, oily and garlicky. This is French cooking at its best.