Creamy Potato And Leek Gratin Food

CREAMY POTATO AND LEEK GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Generously butter a 3-qt shallow baking dish. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit just inside a 12-inch heavy skillet, then set parchment aside.
• Halve leeks lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces (you should have about 8 cups). Wash leeks.
• Cook leeks in butter with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, covered with parchment round, in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel potatoes and slice crosswise 1/16 inch thick with slicer. Transfer to a large heavy pot with cream, milk, thyme, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally (liquid will thicken). Stir in leeks, then transfer to baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
• Do Ahead
• Gratin can be baked 2 days ahead and chilled. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, then reheat, covered, in a 350°F oven until hot, about 30 minutes.

POTATO & LEEK GRATIN

Steps:

• Place the broth in a large saucepan along with the seasonings (1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, garlic chips, salt and pepper).
• Trim off the dark green part of the leek. (Use for another purpose.) Take the white-light green portion and split in half lengthwise. Place that in a water bath and rinse well, changing water as needed in order to remove all dirt and sand from the leek. Once clean, slice the leek into thin half discs. Place into the pot of seasoned broth.
• Peel potatoes and slice very thin by hand or by using a mandoline or food processor. Slices should be less than 1/4 inch thick. Place potatoes in the saucepan.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat contents of the saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce flame to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tooth tender - you can bite'em but they still have some resistance - about 5 minutes.
• Place the contents of the saucepan into 6 individual gratin dishes, ramekins or custard cups. Press down to level the tops. (should your mixture only partially fill the dishes, add a mixture of water and additional broth so that the tops of the contents is within a half inch of the lip of the dish.) Garnish with the remaining thyme.
• Set the dishes on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Check for potatoes for doneness. Apply a *very* quick application of cooking spray to the tops to aide crispness. Cook an additional 10 minutes or until the potatoes are done and the tops are a crispy golden brown.
• For Vegetarian do not use the Chicken Broth option.

POTATO LEEK GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 2-quart gratin dish. Wash the leeks to remove any grit and slice thinly crosswise.
• Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice the potatoes into rounds, 1/8-inch thick. Toss with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Layer the rounds in the gratin dish.
• Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, remaining salt and pepper, and thyme. Cook, stirring, until leeks are tender and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard thyme and scatter the leeks over the potatoes.
• Add cream, garlic and bay leaf to the skillet, scraping up browned bits of leeks from the bottom of the pan. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Stir in nutmeg.
• Pour the cream over the leeks and potatoes and top with the Gruyère. Cover with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, uncover and bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Let cool slightly before serving.

POTATO & LEEK GRATIN

Steps:

• Pour the stock, cream and milk into a small saucepan, add the garlic and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let the flavours infuse while you get on with the rest of the dish.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C. Butter a 2 litre gratin dish well. Mix the potatoes, leeks and ham (if using) together in the dish, and spread out in an even layer. Pour over the stock mixture and tuck the bay leaf in the middle. Season and sprinkle with the cheese.
• Stand the dish on a baking tray to catch any spills. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Test the potatoes with a knife - they should be just beginning to soften. Remove the foil and bake for another 35-45 minutes, spooning some of the stock mixture over every now and again until the potatoes are tender. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

POTATO AND LEEK GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Fill a large bowl with water. Peel potatoes and add them to water as you peel, to prevent discoloration.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cream, milk, and nutmeg; cook until bubbles form around the edge. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, slice potatoes 1/8-inch thick. Place in even layers in a large shallow baking dish; season with salt and pepper. Pour leek-cream mixture over potatoes; sprinkle with cheese.
• Transfer to oven and bake until potatoes are fork-tender and top is brown and bubbling, about 55 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

POTATO, LEEK AND PARSNIP GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook 10 minutes or until softened.
• Whisk together thecream cheese and cream until smooth. Whisk in the stock, thyme and seasonings.
• Layer half the potato and parsnip into a greased 2½ litre capacity baking dish. Top with leek mixture. Pour over half the cream cheese mixture then top with remaining potato and parsnip. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and pour over remaining cream cheese mixture.
• Bake, covered, at 180°C for 50 minutes, then uncovered for a further 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.