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Thanksgiving: Two-Potato Gratin with Cheese

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma: Thanksgiving" by Chuck Williams


Recipe Introduction

"A sweetly nutty and delicious cheese, Comté is a washed rind cheese with holes. Made in the Jura region, it is the French version of the better-known Swiss Gruyère. Both are among the world's great eating and cooking cheeses, and either will work well in this dish. (So, too, will a good aged Swiss from Switzerland, although it will be a little subtler in flavor than the other two.) Look for Comté and Gruyère in well-stocked cheese shops. The gratin can be prepared completely several hours in advance and then reheated. Just before serving, cover with aluminum foil and reheat in a preheated 325-degree oven for about 30 minutes."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing
â—¦ 1 cup half-and-half
â—¦ 1 cup heavy cream
â—¦ Salt and freshly ground pepper
â—¦ 2 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into rounds â…› inch thick
â—¦ 2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into rounds â…› inch thick
â—¦ ½ pound shredded Comté, Gruyère, or aged Swiss cheese
â—¦ ¼ pound Parmesan or Manchego cheese, grated


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Generously grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

In a very large bowl, stir together the half-and-half, cream, 2 ½ teaspoons salt, and 1 ¼ teaspoons pepper. Add the russet and sweet potatoes and toss to mix and coat evenly with the cream mixture. Layer about one-fourth of the potato slices in the prepared dish. Keep the slices evenly but randomly divided between russet and sweet potatoes and be sure the layer reaches to the edges of the dish. Evenly scatter about one-fourth of the cheeses over the potato layer. Repeat to make 3 more layers, pressing with your palm if necessary to fit all the potatoes in the dish and reserving a final sprinkling of cheese. Pour any cream mixture remaining in the bowl evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over all. Scatter the butter pieces evenly over the cheese.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the top of the gratin is browned, the cream has thickened and is bubbling, and a knife inserted into the center of the gratin meets little resistance, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. (The russet potatoes will remain slightly firmer than the sweet potatoes.) Transfer the gratin to a rack and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings