Potato Gratin with Balsamic Onions
(featured in Taste Makers, The Oregonian, February 1, 1998)
Restauranteur Bruce Carey is a excellent cook and the owner of Portland’s hottest restaurant, bluehour. When he does have time to entertain, Potato Gratin with Balsamic Onions is one of his favorite side dishes.
A gratin is any dish that is covered with cheese or bread crumbs and heated in the oven until it is browned into a savory crust. With vegetable gratins, a cooking liquid is often added to tenderize the filling. Potato gratins are a classic since the potato’s starchy texture not only absorbs the liquid but thickens it to a creamy consistency. Carey transform this classic by layering the potatoes with caramelized onions. By themselves, the onions give the recipe a richer, more complex flavor but he enhances it further by adding a hint of balsamic vinegar to the onions.
Carey usually serves his Potato Gratin with lamb chops or roast chicken but it’s one of those dishes you could easily devour with just a green salad. Or, by itself, if nobody’s looking.
Makes 6 servings.
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large or 2 medium yellow onions
Salt and pepper to taste, divided
3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
6 large Yellow Finn potatoes (2 1/2 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup warm heavy cream, divided
1/4 cup grated Paremsan cheese, divided
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a shallow, oval gratin dish or an 8-cup (2 quart) pyrex baking dish with butter.
In a skillet, melt the remaining butter and add the sliced onions. Over medium heat, cook the onions for 5 to 7 minutes or until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar to the onions and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Place the sliced potatoes in a large bowl in the sink and soak in running water for several minutes. (This removes any excess starch.)
To assemble the gratin, arrange a layer of slightly overlapping potato slices in the prepared dish. Cover with one half of the onion mixture. Ladle the warm cream over the onions and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the grated cheese and salt and pepper. Repeat, using the same ingredients and ending with a third potato layer. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoon cheese over the top.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is well-browned. Remove from the oven and let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving.
From Bruce Carey, owner bluehour
This recipe is recommended for the beginning to intermediate cook.
bluehour
250 NW 13th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97209
Phone: 503-226-3394/ Fax: 503-221-3005