When you're cooking dinner for a big group of guys, you can't go wrong with meat and potatoes. Marinated flank steak is easy and (somewhat) affordable and gratin potatoes are a good dish to make ahead of time with little cooking fuss during the party. Throw some in-season vegetables on the bbq and there's plenty of time to catch up at the meeting of the grill masters.
One way to dress up the standard potato dish is to turn it into a gratin. With some few additions like gruyere cheese, leeks, and creme fraiche, this potato dish goes to a completely new level. Even though we made two large casseroles, not one morsel remained. It's definitely a dish that you'll want to relive so we recommend you make more than enough for leftovers.
Ingredients:
(for one casserole)
3-4 potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp. chives
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup creme fraiche
1/4 lb. gruyere cheese
1/4 lb. parmesan cheese
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. thyme
Salt & pepper
Heat a heavy cast iron skillet with a mixture of olive oil and butter. Sautée the yellow onions until translucent beginning to turn brown. Add in the leeks, salt, and another pat of butter. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the leeks are tender. Add the garlic and stir for a couple minutes more. Add the nutmeg, thyme, pepper, cream and creme fraiche and simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Meanwhile, grate the cheeses and slice the potatoes with a mandolin if you have one. Grease a casserole dish with butter and start to layer in 1/3 of the potatoes. Follow with some of the leek mixture, the cheeses, and some chives. Repeat the layers two more times and cover with a lid or foil. Bake in a 400º oven for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 30 minutes until the cheese is golden brown. Poke a knife into the casserole to make sure the potatoes are tender. If not, turn down the oven to 325 and finish for a few minutes longer.
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