Potato, Leek and Mushroom Gratin (gluten-free or not)

Its time to make gratins again! Here is the beautiful thing about a gratin….while it is true that it takes a bit of effort to make, it prepares a large amount of food that you can then reheat for your dinners all week-long. With a salad, a gratin counts as a complete meal! If you want to get fancy you can prepare some meat (Like a Thanksgiving Turkey), but it really isn’t needed.

Here are some other gratin recipes that I LOVE.

Here are some salads to eat with your gratin.

I made this gratin using some delicious dried wild mushrooms that my Aunty Mona gave Chris and I as part of our wedding gift. I used the forester mix which included chanterelle, morel, shiitake and porcini (I think?). This recipe is from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone, which is a terrific cookbook in general, with especially good recipes and instructions for making stews, cobblers, casseroles and gratins. I added the leeks because…I had leeks. I also used russet, instead of waxy yellow or red potatoes because that is what I keep on hand. It turned out great!

POTATO, LEEK AND MUSHROOM GRATIN

adapted slightly from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

1 garlic clove for the dish
1 ounce dried wild mushrooms
3 Tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove finely chopped
Salt and fresh black or white pepper
1 or 2 leeks, white part only, sliced in half lengthwise, washed and then sliced thinly (optional)
1 and 1/2 pounds waxy yellow or red potatoes OR russet potatoes
3/4 pound white mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 cup half and half, stock or bechamel sauce (I used bechamel, recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Rub a 2 quart gratin dish with a clove of smashed garlic and then with a bit of butter.
Cover the dried mushrooms with 1 and 1/4 cup warm water and let stand for 20 minutes or longer. In the meanwhile you can prepare the bechamel sauce (recipe below).
Lift the mushrooms out of their soaking liquid and chop. Strain the soaking liquid to remove any grit and set the liquid aside for later.
Heat the butter in a medium skillet and saute the chopped mushrooms for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the leeks and saute until they are soft.
Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper.
Peel and slice your potatoes 1/16 of an inch thick.
Layer half of the potatoes in the dish and season with salt and pepper. Add the raw mushrooms and then the cooked mushroom leek mixture. Cover with the remaining potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Heat the half and half or bechamel with the strained mushroom liquid and pour it over the gratin.
Bake uncovered for 1 and 1/2 hours or until the liquid is absorbed and the potatoes are tender and golden. I found that it took longer than an hour and a half for the liquid to absorb but it was worth the wait!

BECHAMEL SAUCE

1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 and 1/2 tablespoon flour (I use bob’s red mill gluten-free all-purpose mix)
salt to taste
freshly ground white pepper to taste
grated nutmeg (just a bit)
a few slices of onion (optional)
fresh herbs (optional)
1 garlic clove crushed (optional)

In a saucepan, gently heat the milk with the optional onion, herbs and garlic. When it reaches a boil, turn remove it from the heat.
In another, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Stir in the flour and cook for one minute.
Whisk in the hot milk and cook, stirring constantly on low heat (or in a double boiler), until the sauce has thickened.
Discard the onion, herbs and garlic (if using) and season the sauce with salt, white pepper and nutmeg.