Marvelous, golden
Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 10:51AM 
Once Molly (Wizenberg) wrote of wanting "pâte brisée for a pillow", and it was a statement so perfectly, poetically apt that it's stuck with me. With ardent hope she doesn't mind the tug at her coattails, I submit that if a puff of pastry is where you'd lay your head, with a bed of onions beneath, you just might desire the layers of a potato gratin for bedclothes.
I see that my addition stretches her neat metaphor into something excessive in it's total carbohydrate intake, but the sentiment holds true - potato gratin and an Alsatian Onion Tart hit very much the same notes of butter, cream and those marvelous, golden flavours brought about in baking. A good potato gratin has a gentle crisp at its top, a smoothly-set layering of potato and cream underneath, where the neat strata of each ingredient may be appreciated by the eye, but is hardly so to the tooth.
This gratin comes by way of David Tanis, from his latest book The Heart of the Artichoke, and it is my idea of what a gratin should be. Too often we're offered watery, weepy versions, where the potatoes are wholly undercooked or are gravely underseasoned. Tanis's gratin is as simple as simple can be, held only to the essential ingredients and arranged in unvarnished, glorious harmony.
Actually, this whole book is my idea of what a cookery book should be. There's an easy conversation to be found on his pages that appeals - the tone is that of reading the words of a friend, a very smart, very talented friend, but a friend all the same. The recipes are arranged in seasonal menus with notes on cooking and gentle suggestion of technique. His tastes are varied, so you'll find jalapeno pancakes, black sticky rice pudding with coconut cream, and roast suckling pig (not all together).
Look at me go on. I've been distracted completely from what we're supposed to be talking about. Let's just say it's a really good book and leave it at that.
This potato gratin. We had this over the weekend, the Jansson's Temptation variation (that's fun to say), if we're getting into details. It was a long weekend; a statutory holiday in some parts of Canada. Such lazy days are the ideal setting to potato gratin, as they do take time. Not to make or eat, but to let them cook slowly and languidly so that they reach the velvety standard we're all hoping for.
This won't let those hopes down. It's the gratin to end them all, with my special fondness tied to the Jansson's as said. The onion sweetens the cream slightly, and the anchovies mitigates all with a profound salinity. Eaten the next morning, warmed moderately with a poached egg and a salad of the most peppery, bitterest greens you can find, it's exceptional.
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In nice bit of news, Sheri and Shari kindly invited me to visit their marvelous site this joy+ride. We had a chat about winter and cooking, and there's lots of photographs to share. If you'd like to take a look, here it is. You'll note I talk about Tanis there, so sharing this recipe today felt right.
Thank you dear ones for having me.
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Classic Potato Gratin
From the book The Heart of the Artichoke by David Tanis, (Thomas Allen and Sons, 2010).
A good gratin is probably the only thing you can serve at any dinner table that everybody will love. Of all the versions, I prefer this tradition French-style gratin, made simply with potatoes, cream and butter.
Ingredients
3 pounds baking potatoes (use medium russet, Bintje, or German Butterball)
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter, plus a little more for the baking dish
2 1/2 cups organic heavy cream, or as needed
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel the potatoes and put them in a bowl of cold water. Smear a baking dish thickly with butter. My favorite gratin dish is a circular pan 14 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep. If you don't have a large dish, make 2 smaller gratins. Just make sure the dish is not too deep.
To assemble the gratin, place a cutting board on the counter between the bowl of potatoes and the baking dish. Using a mandoline, if you have one, slice a few potatoes at a time, as thin as possible. Quickly lay the potato slices in the bottom of the pan, overlapping them to make one layer. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Slice a few more potatoes and make another layer. Continue in this fashion, seasoning each layer, until all the potatoes are used.
Pour the cream over the potatoes and tilt the pan to distribute it well. With your hand, push down on the top layer to even out the pile. The cream should just barely cover the potatoes. Add a little more if necessary. Dot the surface with the butter, then cover the dish tightly with foil and put it in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and return the pan to the oven for another 30 minutes or so to brown the top of the gratin. Let the gratin rest fot 10 minutes before serving. (The gratin can also be cooled and left at room temperature for several hours, and reheated in a moderate oven.)
{GRATIN VARIATIONS}
Obviously, there are many other delicious ways to make a gratin. For a good cheesy version, sprinkle an assertive cheese, such as a Swiss Gruyère or Raclette, or even Fontina, between each layer of potatoes. You'll need about 2 cups of grated cheese.
There's a Swedish version of the dish called Jansson's Temptation, which calls for anchoivies and onions and is excellent for breakfast or lunch. To make a good approximation of Jannson's, I mix 1 large onion, sliced thin, with about 12 anchovy fillets, rinsed and roughly chopped, and divide the mixture among the layers. Bake as for the classic gratin.
david tanis, gratin, potato in light lunch, side dish 
Reader Comments (36)
Oh, if only I could curl up in a bed of potato gratin. In reality, I'm sure it would be terribly messy, but in my imagination it seems like the most wonderful thing in the world. Then again, I've been known to declare on many occasions that I'd happily bury myself in a pile of mashed potatoes if I could, so I suppose it's not much of a stretch.
I've been leafing through The Heart of the Artichoke recently, trying to decide what I'd like to make first. Thank you for settling that inner argument for me... potato gratin it is.
Oh god, so good.
And love these photos! So much.
This looks wonderful! I just bought that cookbook a few months ago and fell in love with it. Granted, I will probably never in my life have occasion to make a roast suckling pig, but the recipes sounded delicious and Tanis' writing is just lovely. I'll be sure and give this one a try after your rave review!
Ah, the simple indulgences. My favourite thing about the gratin is the crispy bits of cheese on the side. Lovely photos and post.
This is, indeed, an excellent gratin. I make one that's very similar, but with the addition of a bay leaf, one minced clove of garlic, and a tiny sprinkling of Gruyere. I served it at a homeless shelter last winter and the guests where effusive in their praise.
What beautiful photos to go along with a beautiful story. And yes, a simple potato gratin can transcend earth, if done correctly of course. This looks spot on.
Mmmm ... I will have to try this! I gave up on gratin for years, saddened by the watery-ness of so many recipes. Currently, I parboil the potatoes in the cream, to give them a head start and to thicken the cream. It's been working beautifully, but does mean a bit of extra work and some potato breakage.
Any kind of gratin and I'm drooling. This looks amazing as always.
looks sooo tasty and yummy.. such beautiful shots!!
That looks just lovely. Thank you for sharing and I also wanted to present you the Stylist Blogger award. I admire your work so much and I find inspiration in your posts.
this looks really stunning! i am so craving for some right now:)
i'd make an exception to my unlike of potatoes if someone put this in front of me
i've always considered nigel slater my fire cookery author (as in, must grab the collected works of, right after kids and camera). but tanis, his two gooks together, is giving slater a good run. here's to hoping i have time to grab the whole lot (or better yet, that the fire's just big enough to slow-cook these exquisite spuds.)
Since mashed potatoes and a gratin have lots in common, sometimes I'd be happy with either, Isabelle. It's that joining of butter, cream and soft potato that spells bliss.
Right back atcha, mister Jason.
I don't think I'll have much occasion to roast a whole pig either, Elizabeth, but there's such a niceness to this book I'm happy to overlook such realities.
Agreed, Melody Fury!
Yours sounds delicious, Jennifer Jo, and what lucky guests.
Thank you so much, dixie caviar.
Hi Rachel! I have done the same, I think I saw it on Nigella, but as you say the potatoes do break up a bit. I had my reservations here, as really it's been so long since I've had a great gratin - and was happily rewarded for my efforts. The potatoes cook perfectly and the cream is thick without going overboard. Please report back if you try!
Thank you Sharlene, Kankana and Joy! You too, blackbookkitchendiaries.
Now THAT's a compliment, Justin. If ever I'm in NYC, I'm bringing you a gratin.
molly, I adore the fact you make such lists. And think of fires to bake gratins.
lovely words, friend.
I haven't had potato gratin in a long time. I love your rendition of it and the simple, elegant presentation.
Nisrine
Your blog makes me want to forgo my potato abstinence and dive into a pot of your gratin. It's so lovely. I really enjoyed your post.
this looks and sounds incredible! lovely presentation.
Your photo (namely the oozy cheese) melts right through my currently bone-chilled body. Thank you for sharing.
Keep coming back to read your poetic prose. Potato gratin is my ultimate comfort food.
Just discovered your gorgeous blog through Babble's Top 100 list. Congrats on that by the way! So thankful to know about the exquisite beauty and deliciousness that is Seven Spoons. Looking forward to your future posts!
I think I am actually drooling. Mmmm.
I just adore your writing....I've just spent the past half hour reading your archives!
I love your baking dish- that is wonderful! Can we find them at a specific store?
it's my ideal cookbook... i love the home-cooking-home-writing. I love the simplicity. I love the understated photographs, I even love the font, the page layout...everything.
And you, my dear, have a great style too!!!