Gourmet potato gratin

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 5 large potatoes, depending on the size of the dish
• 250 ml whipped cream, not light
• 250 ml whole milk, organic, 3.8% fat
• 75 g Parmesan, grated
• 1 bag of Edam cheese or Gatin cheese, grated
• 4 slice(s) cooked ham, thin, high quality
• 4 tsp butter (brand butter), not margarine
• nutmeg
• Salt and pepper, crushed by hand in a mortar

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 25 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 5 minutes

more calories, more fat, more taste

Peel the potatoes, wash them, and cut them into wafer-thin slices. If you don’t want to or can’t do this with a knife, use an electric food processor. Gourmets swear by “hand-cutting” because of the energy savings. Measure the amount of potatoes during preparation based on the size of the casserole dish. Butter the casserole dish (preferably glass) with butter. To do this, press a spoon upside down into the butter, take the butter in a smooth layer, and spread it lightly over the bottom and up the sides to a height of 2-3 cm. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer, slightly overlapping, on the bottom, press down, and season well with salt. Imagine the amount of potatoes as if they were boiled potatoes and salt them as you would salt them. Then pepper and sprinkle generously with nutmeg. Don’t be afraid to add salt, pepper, and nutmeg; a little more is better. Crumble some Parmesan cheese over the entire surface. Repeat this process with a second layer. Then, depending on the size, arrange 1 or 2 slices of cooked ham so that the entire potato layer is covered. Add a third layer of potatoes and season as above. Layer another layer of cooked ham and the fourth and fifth layers of potatoes, overlapping. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese again and spread the grated cheese evenly so that the potatoes are no longer visible, but not more than 5 cm high. Don’t forget to season generously with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Place 2-3 knobs of butter on top and pour the whipped cream all around. Then—and this is important—slowly add the milk, filling it high enough to cover the grated cheese. The gratin will cook in this liquid. Place the casserole dish in the refrigerator for 1 hour. After 55 minutes of setting time, preheat the oven to 175°C (fan oven). Once the temperature has been reached, place the casserole dish with the gratin in the bottom third of a wire rack and bake for 35 minutes. Pay attention to the cheese layer – it should turn dark brown, but not black. Then reduce the oven temperature to 120°C (top/bottom heat) and bake for another 35 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 100°C (212°F) and cook for another 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and wait 10 minutes. Test the consistency with a spoon. Ideally, there should still be some liquid and the gratin should be buttery soft and flavorful, but not mushy or curdled. Cut into pieces with a sharp knife and serve. A delicious steak and a green salad would be the perfect accompaniment.