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Ilda's Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

Source of Recipe

From "Beans, Greens and Sweet Georgia Peaches"


Recipe Introduction

"It was my first night in Italy. Our class had spent the day sketching in the picturesque port towns of Portofino and San Fruttuoso. Soaked with Riviera sunshine and salty Ligurian air, we were very hungry, as only active young people can be. Already, I'd had my first espresso, focaccia, and spaghetti alla carbonara, and was game for anything our cook, Ilda, fed to us. She had long since gone home but had left a casserole for us to bake for our supper. She called it casseruola al forno, which means only 'baked casserole' -- not much of a clue. We popped it into the oven and made a salad. The aroma filled the house, rich and tantalizingly Italian; something very familiar about it kept teasing my imagination. At last we sat down to supper, the spoon pierced the crusty cheese and creamy filling oozed out. I tasted it - and was enveloped by the memory of a dozen covered-dish suppers back home. Our exotic Italian casserole was only scalloped potatoes with ham, a dish I'd cut my teeth on. Ilda's recipe came home with me and has become a tradition in my own family. Ilda made it with prosciutto cotto (boiled ham), so I usually use a good quality cooked ham in my own version, but will often make it with country ham (our own cousin of prosciutto), especially for a special occasion like one of those covered-dish suppers."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 pounds boiling potatoes
â—¦ 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
â—¦ 2 Tbsp minced yellow onion
â—¦ 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 cups milk
â—¦ Salt and whole white peppercorns in a peppermill
â—¦ Whole nutmeg in a grater
â—¦ 1 cup diced cooked ham or raw country ham (or prosciutto)
â—¦ 1 cup freshly grated Gruyère
â—¦ ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (no substitutes)


Recipe

Wash the potatoes under cold running water and put them in a stockpot with enough water to cover them by 1 inch. Remove the potatoes, cover the pot, and bring the water to a rapid boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, cover, and let it return to a boil, then reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set them aside until they are cool enough to handle. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375° F.

Put the butter and onion in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté until the onion is softened but not colored, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until it is smoothly blended. Whisking constantly, slowly add the milk and continue whisking until it begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until thick, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with a pinch or so of salt, a grinding of white pepper, and a generous grating of nutmeg. Turn off the heat.

Peel the potatoes and slice ¼-inch thick. Lightly butter a 2-quart gratin or shallow casserole and cover the bottom with a layer of potatoes. Scatter a third of the ham over them and spoon a third of the sauce over all. Scatter a third of the Gruyère over the sauce, then add another layer of potatoes, ham, sauce, and Gruyère, repeat with a third layer, finishing with sauce and Gruyère. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and bake it in the upper third of the oven until golden brown and bubbly, about half an hour. This can also be assembled ahead of time and cooked later, but it can also be baked completely ahead as it reheats beautifully. Serve hot.


Serves 4 to 6