Much like the eggplant and mushroom cassoulet I posted last week, the ingredients in this gratin exercise some serious alchemy in the oven to create a creamy, deeply flavorful, satisfying meal. You could certainly serve this as a side to some kind of meat – I can see (and hypothetically taste) it with a magnificent roast – but we usually eat it alone as a meat-free weeknight entree. For a dinner party though, it would make a spectacular side.
I imagine a number of you may balk at the cup of cream in the ingredients, but here’s a little food for thought. This dish, served as an entree, should serve about six people. When you break down the calories, that comes out to 160 calories a serving from the cream. There are additional calories from the other ingredients, but not a whole heck of a lot since almost all of the remaining ingredients are vegetables. While I’m a healthy eater (my sweet tooth aside), I’m not a calorie counter. But I wanted to reassure those of you who are that this is not a horribly unhealthy meal! Remember that you will not be consuming a cup of cream, just a portion of it.
And all health talk aside, this gratin is delicious and you should just go ahead and make it.
It bakes for about an hour – like the cassoulet, this is what turns simple ingredients into something special. The prep is minimal but make sure you leave enough time to let this baby cook.
Potato, Leek, and Mushroom Gratin
Ingredients
1 tbsp. butter, softened
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. chicken broth
10 oz. cremini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium-large leeks, rinsed thoroughly and thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 375º.
Use butter to grease a rectangular baking dish.
Bring cream, chicken broth, mushrooms, and garlic to a boil. Turn off the heat.
Layer half of the potatoes on the bottom of prepared dish. Top with half the leeks followed by half of the mushroom and cream mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.
Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered about another 20 minutes, until the top is golden.
Let cool slightly then spoon onto plates or into bowls and serve.
Click here for a printable recipe.
Adapted from recipe here.
