culinary review
   
   

Individual Potato Gratins with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Garlic and Cheese

Last Modified: 10/13/07
First Published: 10/07/07
Views: 3415
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Views: 3415

If you are looking for something a little different to make with ordinary potatoes, why don’t you try to make these little Mediterranean potato gratins in ramekins! This dish would be perfect if you are entertaining and would go very well next to any kind of meat. The sun dried tomatoes as well as the garlic add nice flavor, and cheese sauce make it very creamy, bubbly and tasty. To cook the gratin in individual dishes is a good idea because they don’t need very long to cook – besides they are really cute, and it’s nice to get your own dish.

You could prepare the gratins a day ahead (slice the potatoes, make the sauce and assemble) and then just cook them in the oven the next day. Easy and convenient as well as tasty!

6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 6 potatoes (preferably a mix of red and white potatoes), washed
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 tablespoon of sun dried tomatoes
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed
  • ¾ cup of milk
  • ½ cup of shredded cheese + ¼ cup to put on top
  • salt and pepper
  • A little half-and-half
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Method:

Slice the potatoes very thin. Unless you are assembling this dish right away, keep the potatoes in some cold water to release some starch and prevent discoloring.

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Melt the butter in a saucier and whisk in the flour. Let cook for a minute or two. Add the sun dried tomatoes and the garlic. Add the milk and bring up to a simmer, continue whisking. Let the sauce cook for a few minutes until it has thickened. Remove from the heat and slowly start to add the cheese, a tablespoon at a time until completely integrated. Place it back on low heat if it gets too cold – don’t stop stirring. Salt and pepper to taste.
potato_gratinButter six ramekins on all sides. Divide about half of the potatoes in the six ramekins. Salt and pepper and pour over some of the sauce– save about half. Now, divide the remaining potatoes on top and pour over the rest of the sauce. Finish up with a little half-and-half on each ramekin and the rest of the cheese.
Potato_gratin Place all the ramekins on a baking sheet, cover them with some aluminum foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil, lower the temperature to about 350 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Let rest for a few minutes before eating.