Boulangère Potatoes

These potatoes are less daunting and less fattening than Dauphinoise but done correctly they are a real crowdpleaser and will make your pototoes go a long way … they are also great the next day as they heat up really well so mid week they are a time saver.

Dauphinoise Potatoes are cooked in cream but Boulangère potatoes are cooked in stock so there are fewer calories but I think it’s worth a couple of easy extra steps to make sure you are not losing out on flavour.

You could use Onion and Garlic Powder (the type you get in the Asia Market) but I always have Crispy Onions on hand for serving on top of soup or making a sprinkle for Pizza and I find they do a great job of adding a delicious flavour to these potatoes.

Pre heat Oven to 180

600 G potatoes - sliced

 150g shallots or onion - sliced

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon oil 

2 large cloves garlic - crushed

15 mls sherry or port

1 Bay Leaf

200 mls stock with ½ a stock pot either veg or chicken

 1/2 teaspoon thyme

3 heaped teaspoons crispy onions (available in all supermarkets - I use Kuhnes)

Salt

Black and White Pepper

An oven proof dish - lightly rubbed with butter.

Before you even look at a potato prepare the onion and garlic infusion first so that the flavours can develop.

In a pan sweat your onions in the butter and oil. If you don’t have a lid for the pan then just use a bit of tinfoil over them to keep the moisture in. Use a little salt to help the flavour come out but not too much as you will be adding more salt to the dish.

While the onions are slowly becoming soft and translucent crush your garlic and when the onions are nearly done add the garlic for just a minute or two making sure not to burn it. Add your sherry to the pan and give it a stir through. Add your bay leaf, stock, thyme, crispy onions and a little shake of white pepper if you have it. Stir it all through well and take it from the heat and let it infuse. Keep it covered so the liquid doesn't evaporate. If you think you have lost a bit of liquid you can add 20 or 30 mls water.

While that infuses you can slice your potatoes and grease your dish.

The potatoes should be quite finely sliced, but don’t worry if you only have a knife and not one of those mandolins that can take a finger off you - a good knife will get them thin enough.

Now put down your first of 3 layers of potato, overlapping the slices slightly. Do a light grind of salt and black pepper over the layer and then using a fork lift about half of the onions from your pan and layer them over the potato. Do the same again on top and then your final layer of potato. Then pour the mixture from the pan over the dish and let it soak down through the potatoes.

This can be easily made ahead of time to this point.

Cover your dish with tinfoil or a lid and place in the oven for 35 minutes. Then take the foil off and cook for 10 more minutes.