Potato Gratin with Sweet Peppers and Tomatoes
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 21, 2007
Time
2 hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed2 ½ tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, sliced thin2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and sliced ⅛-inch thick or lessPinch cayenne pepper (optional)1 ½ cups water ½ cup dry vermouth 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaf 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced thin5 plum tomatoes, sliced thin¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub bottom and sides of 5- to 6-cup gratin dish or shallow baking dish with garlic. Mince remaining garlic and set aside. Once garlic in dish has dried, about 2 minutes, spread dish with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
- Heat remaining oil in medium saucepan and sauté onion and reserved garlic until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, water, vermouth, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, basil, and cayenne (if desired).
- Pour half of potato mixture into prepared dish; top with bell pepper. Add remaining potato mixture and cover with tomatoes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Shake dish or use fork to distribute potatoes evenly. Gently press down potatoes until submerged in liquid.
- Bake, basting once or twice, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and continue baking until top is golden brown, about 40 minutes more. Let rest 5 minutes and serve.
Time
2 hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and sliced ⅛-inch thick or less
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 ½ cups water
½ cup dry vermouth
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaf
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced thin
5 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredients
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and sliced ⅛-inch thick or less
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 ½ cups water
½ cup dry vermouth
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaf
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced thin
5 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredients
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and sliced ⅛-inch thick or less
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 ½ cups water
½ cup dry vermouth
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaf
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced thin
5 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Why This Recipe Works
For our potato gratin recipe, we found that the variety of potato mattered less than that the potatoes were sliced consistently. Uniform slices between 1/16 to 1/8-inch (easily obtained using a mandoline) yielded a gratin with distinct slices of potato bathed in a velvety sauce. As for the liquid used in a gratin recipe, we tried making gratins with milk, half-and-half, heavy cream, broth, and water. Our favorite liquid turned out to be water. Gratins made this way had just the right balance of saturated potato and saucy liquid, without overwhelming the taste of the potato or other ingredients in the dish.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub bottom and sides of 5- to 6-cup gratin dish or shallow baking dish with garlic. Mince remaining garlic and set aside. Once garlic in dish has dried, about 2 minutes, spread dish with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
- Heat remaining oil in medium saucepan and sauté onion and reserved garlic until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, water, vermouth, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, basil, and cayenne (if desired).
- Pour half of potato mixture into prepared dish; top with bell pepper. Add remaining potato mixture and cover with tomatoes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Shake dish or use fork to distribute potatoes evenly. Gently press down potatoes until submerged in liquid.
- Bake, basting once or twice, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and continue baking until top is golden brown, about 40 minutes more. Let rest 5 minutes and serve.
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