ffwd - potato gratin

One of the things I'm learning on this journey of cooking with French Fridays with Dorie, is to appreciate the subtle flavors, and the highlighting of one or two ingredients in her recipes. For a person who loves the recipes of Bobby, Emeril and K-Paul (and don't forget, living in the Southwest!), this is a lesson in understatement. And it's lovely. There's no bam, there's no bold flavors, but the combinations that we put together bring out the best in the several ingredients in each recipe.

This week's recipe is a perfect example. It really highlights the flavor of the potatoes, adding the warmth of garlic, and the richness of cream.

I've read some of the other posts about this recipe, and agree that different (or more!) cheese would be great. Bacon, or ham - another nice addition. Or even changing up the herbs - I was tempted to use some fresh rosemary -  but in keeping with my project, I stuck to the original recipe. And I happily did. Both elegant and comforting. Rich and homey.  

my gratin, with it's yummy topping of toasty cheese

 

beautiful layers of creamy, potatoey goodness


 What a surprise when I was getting ready to make this recipe - the December issue of Bon Appetit arrived - and there it was, a menu by Dorie... A Cozy French Supper featuring none other than the potato gratin. Several other recipes are included in the recipe, including some fabulous-looking short ribs. I was already making a different recipe for short ribs, so I'll tuck that idea away for later.

The next surprise came when I was baking my favorite cake to share at this time of year - Spiced Cranberry Cake  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spiced-Cranberry-Bundt-Cake-350418 . I happened to look at the recipe while it was baking, and for the first time, realized that it was also a Dorie recipe! I've made it often since it was first published, and it's always a hit.