Potato and Leek Gratin

By á-2053

Ingredients

• 1 cup thinly sliced leeks (white part only)
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 tsp. butter
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 10 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Wash leeks well, then blanch for 15 seconds in a small pot of boiling water. Drain, rinse with cold water. Drain again and set aside. Chop thyme springs, removing any woody stems and set aside. Preheat oven to 325. Butter bottom and sides of a 9 x 12 x 2 inch roasting pan. Pour in just enough cream to coat bottom. Set aside enough potatoes to cover pan, in overlapping slices, in one layer. These will be used up to top the gratin. In the pan, arrange a third of the remaining slices evenly, overlapping the slices in rows. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with a third the thyme and leeks. Drizzle small amount of cream over the potatoes and repeat two more times. Top with remaining slices. Season with salt and pepper and pour remaining cream over the potatoes. Cover with aluminum foil and make a hole in the center. Bake until gratin is just tender about 1 hour. Remove foil and increase heat to 400. Bake until soft and creamy and top is golden brown, about 20 minutes.