Creamy Potato Gratin From Nigella Bites Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°; butter a shallow baking dish or gratin.
• Bring the sliced potatoes, milk, wine, salt, and pepper to a boil in a large pan, stirring occasionally; leave at a simmer while you get on with the mushrooms.
• Melt the butter and garlic oil in a skillet over med-high heat; add in mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Pour the mushrooms and their garlicky juices into the pan of potatoes, stir to mix.
• Transfer to the gratin dish; bake for 45 minutes or until piping hot, and crisp on top.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices, neither especially thin nor especially thick (approximately 1/2-inch) and put them into a large saucepan with the milk, cream, onion, minced garlic and salt. Bring to the boil and cook at a robust simmer or gentle boil (however you like to think of it) until verging on tender, but not dissolving into mush. The pan might be hell to clean afterward, but any excuse for long, lazy soaking rather than brisk pre-or postprandial scrubbing always appeals to me. And, for what it's worth, I find that when pans are really, dauntingly, stuck with cooked-on gunge, it's more effective to soak them in hot water and detergent (i.e., the stuff you put in the washing machine, though I haven't tried, and don't think I would, with tablets) rather than dish liquid.
• Use some of the butter to grease a large roasting pan (15 by 12-inches) and then pour the almost sludgy milk and potato mixture into it. Dot with remaining butter and cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until the potato is bubbly and browned on top. Remove, let stand for 10 to 20 minutes and then serve.
• This is not the most labor saving way of cooking potatoes, to be sure, but one of the most seductive. And it reheats well as an accompaniment to cold roast pork, or indeed anything in the days that follow.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Use a mandolin, food processor or knife to slice potatoes moderately thin (the thickness of two pennies is perfect). Place in a 3-quart saucepan and add 3 cups half-and-half. The cream should barely cover the potatoes. Add a little more if needed. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 6 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, butter a 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Dust dish with 2 1/2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Season potatoes by folding in salt (at least a teaspoon), pepper and nutmeg. Do not undersalt. Transfer potato mixture to the baking dish and dust top with remaining 1/2 tablespoon bread crumbs.
• Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving. The gratin can be reheated, but if that's your plan, bake it for 20 minutes, leave it at room temperature and reheat it for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 4/fan oven 140C. Rub the butter all over the surface of a gratin dish, about 18x28cm/7x11in. Peel and slice the potatoes to a width of 3mm/1⁄8in. Lay the slices on a clean tea towel and pat dry. Keep them covered with the tea towel while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan. Add the garlic, thyme and shallot (if using). Slowly heat the milk and, just as it is about to reach boiling point and you see bubbles appearing around the edge of the pan, remove it from the heat. Strain the liquid into a large jug, sprinkle in the nutmeg and keep warm.
• Layer half the potato slices in the dish, slightly overlapping the slices and sprinkling with a little salt and freshly ground pepper between each layer. You don't have to be too neat with the lower layers, but keep some of your best slices for later, so the top looks good.
• Pour half the hot milk and cream over the potatoes, then finish off layering the rest of the potatoes (arranging them a bit more carefully this time). Pour over the rest of the hot milk and cream. Scatter the cheese over the top and bake for about one hour, until golden and tender. Leave the dish to stand for about 5 minutes, then serve sprinkled with a few fresh thyme leaves.