Patates au Gratin

Over the years I've had plenty of Sunday dinners at other people's houses and been served a variety of good meals. In my own kitchen it's become the best meal of the week given I can spend time preparing something a little more labour-intensive, something a little more special. Typically when I think of a solid Sunday, I think of waking up after 9, having a long, leisurely breakfast, the sound of the washing machine and the smell of something roasting in the oven in the afternoon, and maybe a bath before bed. Not only a day of rest, but most often a day of roast.

The standard Sunday formula seems to involve a large cut of meat, likely oven-roasted, served with potatoes and vegetables. A juicy Baron of Beef, cooked to medium rare-perfection, with smoothly mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of steamed broccoli. Or, a whole chicken with roasted potatoes and a chopped green salad. And ham? Well, for me, ham is not my first choice for a roast for some reason, even though the leftover possibilities are seemingly endless, the prospect of a big ol' slice of ham is just a bit boring.

So what kind of potato can dance with the pig? Scalloped potatoes, or patates au gratin is a delicious, rich and creamy dish that dresses up and compliments a roasted ham. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with cheese and cream and baked until golden brown. As it bakes, it makes its own creamy sauce that is wickedly rich. It takes a little preparation but it bakes up nicely, looks beautiful, and smells like a Sunday all by itself. Served with a crisp green salad it also makes a great lunch on Monday.

I remember eating a family dinner at my cousin's house years ago and out of the oven came a big beautiful casserole dish of scalloped potatoes. They were bubbly on top, and thick and cheesy all the way through and I was hooked. I was impressed with the culinary prowess in that kitchen, and asked for the recipe. Now that I have it, I save it for special occasions and have deemed it a "secret family recipe" for more reasons than one. This is not that recipe.

I made this recipe in ramekins, so that I could try a couple of things and have single servings, so you can adjust it accordingly depending on how many servings you would like.

For one serving:

• 3  small to medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes (or other starchy potato), sliced 2 mm thick, with or without skin
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 shallot, diced

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2)Take 1/2 tablespoon of butter and grease the ramekin.
2) Pour a small amount of cream in the bottom of the ramekin.
3) Place about a third of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the ramekin, overlapping the slices in an even layer.
4) Top the potatoes with a 1/3 of the shallots . Sprinkle a third of the remaining cream over top. Then top with 1/3 of the feta, and 1/3 of the cheddar. Salt and pepper the layer generously.
5) Continue layering in this way with potatoes, cheese, and cream until you have a few layers and are ending with the last of the cheese. Before sprinkling the last of the cheddar on top, cut up the remaining butter and distribute it evenly over the last layer. Finally add the rest of the cheddar to top the dish, ensuring the potatoes are mostly covered.
6) Bake for about 1h and 20 minutes. Should it brown too quickly, cover the ramekin with foil until the last 20 minutes of cooking. Let stand for ten minutes before serving. Be careful not to slop on your Sunday best!