Provided by Erin Naughton-Garrison, who loves to use ingredients from her Winter Share from the Food Farm.
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cream, full fat
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2.5 lbs. starchy potatoes, Russet, Sebago, Maris Piper, or other locally grown red varieties
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups gruyere cheese (or mozzarella), freshly grated
2 teaspoon thyme leaves (fresh highly recommended)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9"x13" baking dish or 11" skillet.
Cream Mixture: Mix butter, cream and garlic until combined.
Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8 inch thick. Spread 1/3 of the potatoes in a baking dish, then pour over 1/3 of the cream mixture, scatter with 1/3 of the salt, pepper and thyme. Sprinkle with 3/4 cups cheese. Repeat for the 2nd and third layer, but do not finish with cheese on the top layer (will add later).
Cover with lid or foil, and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the potatoes in the
middle are soft (use knife to test). Remove foil, top with cheese. Bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until golden and bubbly. Stand 5 minutes before serving.
Cheese note: Gruyere is the best as it provides flavor and browns beautifully on top. Julia Child used gruyere. It's quite expensive so for everyday purposes; mozzarella is an ideal alternative. If you use mozzarella, add an extra pinch of salt on each layer.
Any other melting cheese will work fine, such as Monterey Jack or cheddar.