Decadent Potato Recipes: Smoked Trout Gratin and Spiced Roast Potatoes

Indulge in a luxurious gratin with layers of potatoes, smoked trout, and cavolo nero, all smothered in a herb-infused cream sauce and topped with a cheesy crust. This dish is the ultimate comforting potato centerpiece. And for flavorful variation on roast potatoes, cook crisp roast potatoes mixed in a lightly spiced butter emulsion featuring white wine.

Layered Potato and Fish Bake

Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 15 min
Serves 4

600ml double cream
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
2 branches fresh rosemary
3 stalks thyme
Zest of 1 fresh lemon
Nutmeg
Seasoning
25g butter
1 onion, peeled and sliced thin
200g black kale, de-stemmed, leaves roughly sliced
750g potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
200g sliced trout
3 branches fresh dill, chopped
150g finely grated gruyere cheese

Add the cream into a saucepan and add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and a dash of nutmeg. Season liberally with salt and white pepper, then put over a low heat and bring to a gentle bubble for about 10 minutes, to blend and creamify. Remove and discard the garlic and herbs.

Heat the butter in a frying pan on a medium flame, chuck in the sliced onions and fry for a few minutes, until tender. Include the cavolo nero, pepper well and cook until the cabbage cooks down. Take off the heat.

Arrange the thinly sliced potatoes in a row in the bottom of a large rectangular baking dish. Layer with a amount of the onions and cavolo nero, then add some of the cream mixture and salt. Layer with slices of smoked trout and a handful of chopped dill, then add some cheese. Continue the steps until you fill the top of the baking dish, so that the top layer is potatoes topped with cream and cheese.

Cook at 170C for an hour and 45 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.

Spiced White Wine Roasties

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min, plus cooling
Serves 4

6 potatoes, peeled and halved
1 vegetable stock cube
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp oil
200ml wine
½ shallot, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
Nutmeg
2 whole cloves
Strips of 1 citrus, in strips
50g salted butter
2 stalks rosemary, leaves plucked and finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and finely chopped
3 sprigs sage, leaves picked and minced

Place the cut potatoes in a saucepan of cold water, include the stock cube and flavor with salt. Boil , then simmer the potatoes for several minutes, until they fall off the tip of a sharp knife. Strain, then cover a tea towel over the colander and allow to dry for 10 minutes. At the same time, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Pour the oil into a roasting pan and put it in the oven to get extremely hot. Once the potatoes are steamed, gently add them to the hot oil and toss with a tongs, so they're well oiled. Roast for 30 minutes, then give them a shake and return in the oven for 20 more minutes.

In the meantime, set a pot on a strong heat, pour in the white wine, then mix in the shallots, garlic, nutmeg, cloves, and lemon zest, and simmer until the liquid has thickened. Whisk in the butter and herbs, then fish out and throw away the cloves and lemon zest. By this point, the potatoes are likely cooked.

Toss the potatoes in the sauce, season and enjoy right away.