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Prepared with cream and two kinds of cheeses, this rich gratin makes a decadent side dish for your Thanksgiving feast or your favorite roast meats.
Ingredients
- 5 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 4 lb. (2 kg) leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well, cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) rings
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz./180 g) grated Gruyère cheese
- 3/4 cup (3 oz./90 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 lb. (1.5 kg) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) slices
- 3 Tbs. minced fresh chives
Directions
In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt 4 Tbs. of the butter. Add the leeks and 1 Tbs. salt, stirring to coat the leeks with the butter. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the thyme, nutmeg, 3/4 tsp. pepper and the cream and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Preheat an oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Grease a 9-inch (23-cm) square baking dish or large gratin dish with the remaining 1 Tbs. butter.
In a bowl, combine the Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses. Layer one-third of the potatoes in the baking dish and spread one-third of the leek mixture on top. Sprinkle with one-third of the cheeses, then 1 Tbs. of the chives. Repeat the layering 2 more times. Top with several grindings of pepper.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil, transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the potatoes are tender and the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes more. Let the gratin stand for 15 minutes before serving. Serves 8.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Chef Rosh from
Requires a lot of time, but does not disappoint.
This recipe requires a lot of time, but is absolutely delicious. Very french tasting. Goes great with steak. Leftovers are great with a couple of fried eggs the next morning. I baked mine in a glass 9 x 13 baking pan (recipe says 9x9) and it worked out fine.
Date published: 2024-03-24
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Frenchy57 from
Everyone's favorite!
This recipe is always a winner! I've made it for years and it is always the star of the meal. Not only delicious, but it has the most wonderful aroma while cooking (probably the gruyere :-). It's hard to beat this as a side dish. I use less than half the salt and agree with the other reviews that there cold be a typo on the salt quantity. Ohter than that it's a near perfect dish.
Date published: 2023-12-29
Rated 5 out of
5
by
tstclair17 from
Pairs well with Prime Rib
I make Potato Leek gratin every year with a prime rib for Christmas and my family can't get enough of it. I make a larger batch because of the size of the family. I love the combination of the cheeses and the creamy leeks.
Date published: 2020-12-23
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Elisa from
so delicious!
I make this every year for xmas eve and it's always a huge hit. I use a heavy 9x13" emile henry dish (instead of the skillet) and it comes out perfect every time. Don't be scared by the cup a cream... it cooks down and creates a delicious leek filling. Maybe I adjust the salt - I can't remember. It's a rich dish, but so much better than most potato au gratin recipes I've had.
to answer other reviewers question - it's definitely 4 LBS of leeks. I trim tops and slice into the rings and then soak in cold water to clean. they cook way down.
Date published: 2017-12-20
Rated 4 out of
5
by
PhyllisM from
Cut the salt!
I made this to go with Easter ham, using a combination of leeks and onions that I already had cut up. Will definitely make again, but way too salty, almost inedible. I'm thinking the 1-1/2 Tbsp may be a typo. I'll go with 1-1/2 tsp next time.
Date published: 2016-03-28
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Rhondda from
Best Side Dish Ever!!
I have made this dish several times and it has been a hit each time. I like that I can make it ahead of time so we can enjoy our company and cook it later. I also like the fact that it is easy to reduce the size for just the two of us. It is so flavorful and an attractive dish to serve. It is one of our favorites.
Date published: 2015-07-27
Rated 4 out of
5
by
toujoursmax from
A great gratin
I made this for Christmas and everyone loved it. I didn't weigh the leeks at the grocery story but I bought 2 bunches w/3 in each bunch. It didn't seem like enough since they cook down so much (I'll weigh them next time). I cut down on the salt a bit. Next time I will cut the potato slices in half - I think they would fit better in the pan that way. Lastly, I baked it in a disposable foil pan and it came out perfectly. Although I usually don't use heavy cream in a recipe, it cooked down and thickened up perfectly. I recommend the splurge!
Date published: 2014-12-28
Rated 5 out of
5
by
rroman81 from
First Great Gratin
This is the first time I've made a gratin s my family usually cooks fairly in an Italian simple way BUT these were almost gone at the end of dinner. Really great hearty side dish. I will definitively make this again- maybe try different cheeses, The leeks nutmeg & cream were so good before even cooking I almost ate them all!
Has anyone ever tried to assemble this the day before? Or would the potatoes change?
Date published: 2014-10-13
