Ingredients
- 1 large head of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 medium onions halved, lengthwise, each half cut crosswise into 1/4” slices
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme divided
- 1/2 lb. bacon sliced crosswise into 1/4” strips
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1.5 lbs. potatoes
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off top 1/2” from head of garlic. Wrap garlic in foil and roast until soft, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic cloves into small bowl, mash with fork. Cover and reserve. Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of onions and 1 tablespoon thyme and cook until slightly softened, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes. Add remaining onions and saute until very soft, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until deep golden brown, stirring frequently, about 40 minutes longer. Set aside.
Saute bacon in saucepan over medium heat until bacon is beginning to crisp around edges, about 4 minutes. Pour off drippings from pan. Add cream, 1 tablespoon roasted garlic, and 2 teaspoons thyme, simmer until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Cool. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and thinly slice potatoes with mandolin or knife. Spoon 1/2 cup cream mixture over bottom of 8x8x2” metal or ceramic baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of potato slices over cream, overlapping as necessary. Sprinkle with pepper and 1/3 cup coarse salt. Spread half of caramelized onions over potatoes. Spoon half of remaining cream mixture over onions. Cover with half of remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with pepper and 1/3 teaspoon salt. Spread remaining onions over potatoes. Spoon all but 2 tablespoons cream mixture over onions. Cover with remaining potato slices. Sprinkle with black pepper and remaining 1/3 teaspoon salt. Drizzle with remaining cream mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Cover tightly with plastic, then foil. Bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with knife about 45 minutes. Carefully remove foil and plastic wrap. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Bake until top is golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes.