Mireille’s Summer Potato Gratin

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Back to Patricia Wells.......

I couldn’t present this next dish from The Provence Cookbook better than the author so….I will leave it to Patrica Wells. She writes:

“Many a Wednesday lunch I can be found feasting at the hands of Mireille Pons, chef, owner of Le Bistrot du paradou, not far from Saint-Remy. This light summer gratin, made without the traditional cream or butter – is great for those sizzling days of July and August.”



It isn’t July yet but I can assure you – the dog days of summer have arrived with a hot humid blast in North Florida . This light gratin was just the ticket to pair up with Doug’s grilled amberjack. A light salad with juicy grape tomatoes and a icy cold Cardonnary rounded out the meal.

Mireille’s Summer Potato Gratin
Le Gratin de Pommes de Terre Estival de Mireille

Ingredients needed.........

2 large onions, peeled, halved lengthwise and finely sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces or so smoked slab bacon, cut into cubes. (If it has a rind remove it first)
15 to 20 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
Salt
2 pounds (estimate the number you need) large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly
Homemade chicken stock or broth you have on hand

Ready for this easy no-fuss dish?


Preheat your oven to 375 F In a large skillet combine the onions, olive oil, bacon, garlic and salt. Cook to lightly brown, about 5 minutes.

Layer potatoes in your baking dish. Cover with onion, bacon and garlic mixture. Pour the stock over the mixture. I added a few good pours of Chardonnay since we had some open!



Season generously with black pepper then place the dish into the center of the oven. Bake until potatoes are cooked through – this will be anywhere from 1 to 1 and a half hours.

In my oven it only took an hour. But I’m thinking since I didn’t measure anything – I just eye-balled the amounts – that I may have prepared a smaller amount. Anyway, it took one hour for mine to bake properly.

The charcoal grilled amberjack was a good main dish...a light meal for this brutal heat........



A bit of bread, a light salad, delicious grilled fish and touch of Provence with Mireille’s Summer Potato Gratin.



Bon Appetit!