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Herbed Potato Gratin with Gouda and Romano

Bright and earthy, this Herbed Potato Gratin with Gouda and Romano recipe is an ideal side dish — not heavy, just satisfying.

Herbed Potato Gratin with Gouda and Romano

Sometimes, I just want to cook.

I want to stand in my kitchen, surrounded by cutting boards and knives, graters and bowls of prepared ingredients and pans in all stages of cooking and orchestrate a meal like a trained conductor. A little stir here, a little chop there, a sprinkle somewhere else.

There’s something so freeing about the act of creating in the kitchen. You can shed all the things that fill your mind, focusing solely on what’s in front of you — the task, the art, the creation.

Making this dish is like that for me …

Herbed Potato Gratin with Gouda and Romano recipe

Meet Herbed Potato Gratin with Gouda and Romano. I’ve been working on gratin recipes on and off for a year but this variation is one of my favorites.

What’s a gratin, you ask? A gratin is something often cooked in a shallow casserole dish and always with a crust of cheese, butter, breadcrumbs or some combination there of. This one happens to be crusted with Romano cheese.

Before we go any further though, I have to ask that you toss out your preconceived notions about gratins. This might not be like the ones you’ve had before. What I mean to say is that if you’re seeking the cheese sauce-soaked potatoes au gratin from the box, this isn’t it. I’d suggest you try this recipe from Daring Gourmet for Potatoes Au Gratin for that (tasty, satisfying) dish.

This potato gratin isn’t heavy or ooey and gooey (though both have their merits in other dishes). Instead, it’s a lighter, but still satisfying version where the flavors and textures have a certain harmony. Nuanced flavors — thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper — are layered with red potatoes and aged gouda cheese. A touch of vegetable stock helps the potatoes soften while cooking. And it’s all finished off with a sprinkle of Romano cheese.

The dish is earthy and bright. It’s a celebration of potatoes.

But if I am being really honest, it was the leftover aged gouda that completed this. I’ve played with parmesan, Romano and cheddar before, but the rich aged gouda was just what it needed throughout for the perfect mix of potato and cheese.

I’d bought this aged gouda recently for Cheesy Monday, a celebration of cheeses that I started one deep, dark winter a few years back. We had a little leftover, so into this dish it went.

Funny how chains of events like this can lead to the most wonderful of results, isn’t it?

Herbed Potato Gratin with Gouda and Romano

Herbed Potato Gratin with Gouda and Romano

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Bright and earthy, this Herbed Potato Gratin with Gouda and Romano recipe is an ideal side dish -- not heavy, just satisfying.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb red potatoes, , sliced thinly with a mandoline
  • 2 oz aged gouda cheese, , shredded
  • dried thyme
  • dried rosemary
  • ground black pepper
  • kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable stock
  • 3 tbsp freshly grated Romano cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Spray a round baking dish (about 8-inches in diameter) with cooking oil spray. Spread one layer of potatoes in the bottom. Sprinkle with a handful of shredded gouda. Season lightly with dried thyme. Repeat, using dried rosemary instead of dried thyme. Repeat again, seasoning lightly with pepper and salt. Repeat in this order until all the potatoes have been used.
  3. Drizzle the vegetable stock around the edges of the casserole. Sprinkle with Romano cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden at the edges.
  4. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Kate

Monday 17th of April 2017

I like that the potatoes have a crispness that usually isn't seen in gratins.

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