Sunday is Easter and many of us will be enjoying protein + potatoes. Rich, gooey potatoes.
This recipe, from Cast Iron Skillet: Big Flavors, suggests using prosciutto strips on top. I took a slightly different route, as you might detect in the picture above. As I layered the potatoes and cheese, I added a finely sliced onion and two jalapenos, cut lengthwise, seeded, then cut into half rounds.
Depending on your potatoes, the cooking time here may vary, in great part depending upon how thinly or thickly you slice your potatoes. The second round of cooking here, 40 minutes, took 60 for my try. This is simply a dish you want to start early and keep going until your fork can easily pierce a potato.
Potato Gratin with Crisp Prosciutto Strips
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin, like potato chips
- Salt and freshly ground black peppe
- ½ pound Taleggio cheese, rind removed and cut into ½-inch slices, or 2 cups grated Gruyere
- 1 ½ cups half-and-hal
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 ounces thin-sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into ½-inch strips
- Optionally: diced or sliced onions, jalapenos, …
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Arrange one third of the potatoes evenly in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Add half of the cheese. Optionally, add the onion or jalapenos. Repeat with another third of the potatoes, adding the remaining cheese and optional ingredients. Finish with the final third of the potatoes. Pour the half-and-half over the mixture. Season with salt and pepper and dot the top with the remaining butter. Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and pour the heavy cream evenly over the top of the cooked potatoes. Return to the oven and bake 30 minutes more. Sprinkle the prosciutto strips over the top and finish baking for 10 more minutes.
Source: Cast Iron Skillet: Big Flavors by Sharon Kramis and Julie Kramis Hearne
