Gratin Potato

This decadent dish features thinly sliced potatoes layered with a velvety, garlicky cream sauce. Each bite delivers a perfect balance of creamy richness and subtle garlic flavour. This versatile recipe is a perfect side dish and can be made in advance to make feeding a crowd a breeze. 

Ingredients:

• 1.5kg (3lb 4 oz) potatoes
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary
• 1 cup cream
• Butter and oil for sweating
• Salt and pepper

Method:

• Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice using a mandolin if you have one.
• Wash the leek well to remove the hidden dirt.
• Gently sauté the leek, garlic and thyme in a drizzle of oil and butter, until soft.
• Add the cream and reduce until thick.
• Season well.
• Pour over the potatoes and mix through.
• Prepare an oven dish with tinfoil and then baking paper.
• Press the potatoes into the prepared dish, making sure you have the corners well filled. 
• Top with another piece of baking paper and cover with tinfoil.
• Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for approximately 40 minutes to an hour or until soft when you prick with a skewer.
• Remove from the oven and weigh down with a similar sized oven tray or tinned vegetables to press it together.
• Refrigerate once cool.
• The following day, remove from the oven tray and slice into portions.
• Arrange on a flat oven tray and warm through/brown before serving. This will take approximately 30minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.