Rosenkohl-Kartoffel-Gratin (Brussels sprout and potato gratin)
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Gratin
- 400 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved through the core rounded
- 20 ml olive oil rounded
- 600 g waxy potatoes, peeled, sliced 3 mm thick rounded
- 400 ml cream rounded
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
- to taste freshly grated nutmeg rounded
- 80 g grated hard cheese rounded
Method
Method
- Heat the oven to 220°C. Toss the halved sprouts with the olive oil and a pinch of salt, and arrange cut-side down on a baking sheet, not crowded. Roast 15 minutes, until the cut faces are deeply charred in spots. Reduce the oven to 190°C.
- Combine the sliced potato, cream, garlic, salt and nutmeg in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook 10 minutes, stirring gently, until the potato has softened slightly and the cream has thickened a little.
- Pour the potato and cream mixture into a baking dish. Fold in the roasted sprouts.
- Scatter the cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake at 190°C for 30 minutes, until the potato is fully tender and the top is deeply golden.
Notes
- Roast the sprouts cut-side down first, separately, rather than adding them raw to the cream. This single step is what gives them real char and flavour; simmered raw the whole time, they turn pale and taste merely of boiled cabbage.
- Pre-simmer the potato slices in the cream before the final bake. This shortens the total oven time and ensures the potato is fully tender rather than relying on the oven alone to cook it through.
- Stir gently while pre-simmering the potato, not vigorously, to keep the slices intact rather than breaking them into mash.
- It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and reheats well, covered, in a moderate oven.
Ingredient substitutions
- Brussels sprouts can be swapped for the same weight of quartered fennel for a different but complementary vegetable base.
- Cream can be a mix of cream and milk for a lighter result.
- Grated hard cheese can be any good melting cheese; a smoked variety pairs particularly well with the charred sprouts.