I don’t know about you, but when I am stressed I try to go to my Happy Place, and my Happy Place is the kitchen!  I was raised in my grandmother’s and mother’s kitchen where they both cooked simple but wonderful and tasty food.  So when I need to refocus I cook comfort food! This week, our kitchen smelled very good with aromas of stew simmering, cookies and muffins baking.  One meal that both Sandra and I love is this fantastic Gratin of Potatoes with Reblochon Type Cheese!  It seemed that French Canadians and Latvians have the same love for potatoes, cream and bacon!  When I first made this Sandra said: “Oh my God!  Leave me in a room alone with this!” I served this dish with a simple green salad. I am still purring!

ENJOY!

Ingredients:

  • 2 ¼ lb potatoes
  • ½ cup of each beef, chicken or vegetable broth and cream
  • 1 lb reblochon type cheese (this cheese is flavourful but on the mild side, if you like a more pronounced flavour you could use a stronger soft cheese like the Peribonka)
  • salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
  • (Depending on how I feel, I sometimes add a couple of slices of fried bacon)

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 425F
  • Wash and peel the potatoes and cut them into ½ inch cubes
  • Boil the potatoes in salted water for 4 minutes, then drain under cold water, set aside
  • Cut the cheese in thin slices and scrape off a little bit of the rind
  • Heat the broth and cream together
  • Once the broth and cream is warm, add the cheese one slice at a time and let it melt on a low setting
  • Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg
  • Melt butter in a pan and sweat the onion and garlic
  • Transfer the garlic and onion to a baking pan, add the semi cooked potatoes and pour on the cheese sauce
  • Bake for 20 minutes on 425F then reduce to 350F and bake for another 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

Chtiflette-de-Ratte-du-Touquet-paysage-2

 

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