Monday, June 28, 2010

Mireille’s Summer Potato Gratin

Announcements first....... Before we continue to enjoy Patrica Wells' recipes, I would like to thank Rebecca at Chow and Chatter for following my blog!
I would like to thank Girlichef for helping me create my new blog badge..and invite you check it out. Tell me what you think. ( It's on the right hand side of the blog.) For Girlichef's tutorial on badge making, click HERE.

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!

8 comments:

  1. This looks wonderful. I am a big fan of Patricia Wells and have all her books. Her recipes are always outstanding and this one is no exception. I hope you are having a great day.Blessings...Mary

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  2. Drooling! Yum, this looks so delicious =) Thanks so much for the shout-out...your badge turned out beautifully!

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  3. This sounds yummy, although I would personally cut down on the garlic. That fish looks fabulous too.

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  4. goodness yes, this is a no fuss and wonderful dish - just a great side with fish and any meal

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  5. I'm definitely going to have to get the button thing sorted out...I didn't get around to it yesterday but I hope I can do it sometime this week. Thanks for posting the link to the instructions!

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  6. Love your new badge! Thanks for posting instructions on creating one. I'm going to check that out.

    You are really making me want a Patricia Wells book. Your whole meal looks delicious, but the potato gratin looks good enough to inhale ;-)

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  7. WOW. This looks magnificent. I'm going to give this a try exactly as you made it (with a good glug of Chardonnay).
    Thanks.

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  8. Mary, I am very much enjoying Patricia Wells and am thrilled there are more books for me to "travel" through. Thanks for the nice comments!

    Girlichef - You deserve a shout out, couldn't have done it without you. I am practicing though so you won't have to have a dozen emails :-)

    Janel - Thank you, the amberjack just hits the spot on a hot summer day.

    Drick - I love the fast recipes that give a big return on flavor.

    WC - I would love to display your badge, please do :-)

    Kim - Thank you! I owe my badge success to Girlichef and am practicing making more. Let me know if you try the au gratin. Nice and easy, extra tasty.

    Carla and Michael - Oh definitely grab that Chardonnay!

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Welcome and thank you so much for visiting. If I don't answer you here I will get back to you on your blog. Also have had to switch to approving comments due to some SPAM lately. Alas...

It's been a good run...........