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Discover a rich gratin that combines potatoes, smoked trout, and cavolo nero, all coated in a herb-infused cream sauce and crowned with a cheesy crust. The gratin is the ideal hearty potato main course. As a savory take on classic roasties, try crisp roast potatoes mixed in a aromatic butter emulsion made with white wine.

Potato Gratin with Smoked Trout and Kale

Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 15 min
Serves 4

600ml rich cream
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
2 stalks rosemary sprigs
3 stalks thyme sprigs
Zest of 1 citrus
Nutmeg
Salt and white pepper
25g butter
1 brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced
200g cavolo nero, de-stemmed, leaves roughly sliced
750g maris piper, peeled and cut into slices
200g cold trout
3 stalks dill, chopped
150g finely grated cheese

Add the cream into a saucepan and include the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and a dash of nutmeg. Season generously with salt and white pepper, then put over a low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, to infuse and creamify. Take out and remove the garlic and herbs.

Heat the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat, toss in the sliced onions and fry for several minutes, until softened. Stir in the cavolo nero, season generously and saute until the cabbage cooks down. Turn off the heat.

Place the sliced potatoes in a single layer in the bottom of a oven-safe rectangular baking dish. Top with a amount of the onions and cavolo nero, then add some of the cream mixture and season. Layer with pieces of smoked trout and a handful of chopped dill, then sprinkle over some cheese. Continue the layering process until you reach the top of the baking dish, ensuring the top layer is potatoes covered with cream and cheese.

Bake at a moderate oven for an hour and 45 minutes, or until tender all the way through.

White Mulled Wine Roast Potatoes

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min, plus cooling
Serves 4

6 starchy potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 stock cube
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
200ml wine
½ shallot, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Nutmeg
2 cloves
Zest of 1 citrus, in strips
50g salted butter
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves plucked and minced
3 branches sage, leaves plucked and minced

Put the cut potatoes in a saucepan of cool water, add the stock cube and salt with salt. Bring to a boil , then cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until they are tender. Remove water, then place a cloth over the colander and let to steam-dry for 10 minutes. At the same time, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Add the oil into a roasting pan and place it in the oven to get extremely hot. When the potatoes are ready, gently place them to the hot oil and toss with a tongs, so they're completely coated. Bake for 30 minutes, then toss them and return in the oven for additional time.

While roasting, place a large pan on a high flame, add the white wine, then stir in the shallots, garlic, nutmeg, cloves, and lemon zest, and reduce until the liquid has thickened. Whisk in the butter and herbs, then fish out and throw away the cloves and lemon zest. At this stage, the potatoes ought to be done.

Toss the potatoes in the sauce, season and serve immediately.