RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Cheesy leek and potato gratin
There aren’t many dishes more comforting than potatoes cooked with cream. The leeks and garlic bring all their oniony sweetness which perfectly complements the savoury potatoes. This dish would be perfect to serve at a winter dinner party, alongside a warming casserole.
Equipment
- 9 inch ovenproof pan
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 700 g Potato, peeled and chopped into 1.5cm cubes
- 1 Leek, quartered and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Cloves of garlic, finely sliced
- 4 Sprigs of thyme
- 2 Bay leaves
- 300 ml Thickened cream
- 40 g Cheese (I used Cheddar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200c.
- Pop your cubes of potato into a saucepan of water, put a lid on, bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add your olive oil, leeks and 1 teaspoon of salt to a saucepan, cook on a medium heat until the leeks have softened and are starting to get a little brown. This should take about 7-8 minutes. Add your thyme, bay leaves, garlic and cream to the pan. Bring the cream to the boil, do not leave the cream unattended, it bubbles up fast and can easily boil over.
- Once your cream has boiled, turn off the heat and move to a cool spot on the stove. Strain your potatoes and add them into the cream mixture. Give it all a very gentle stir. Carefully pour the potato cream mixture into a 9 inch ovenproof pan, gently press down so the surface is flat. Scatter the grated cheese over the top and wrap tightly with tin foil. I used a cake tin because it was all I had! Put the pan in the oven and turn the oven down to 180c. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and remove the tin foil. Return to the oven for 15 mins until the top is nice and golden and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and serve whilst warm.
Notes
- When you're boiling water, be conscious of how much you need. With the potato cubes, add enough water to cover the potatoes by about 1cm. If you add too much water, it will take longer to boil and you’ll be wasting electricity/gas, as well as water. Also, if you want to conserve energy and make things boil faster, add a lid!
- I leave the thyme sprigs and bay leaves in the mixture whilst it bakes as the flavours will continue to infuse. Just be aware when serving and eating the dish.
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