Truffled Potato Gratin

Now if you are a lover of mushrooms...you will highly enjoy this dish!  I couldn't stop eating it!!!  The combination of potatoes, cream and mushrooms...is out of this world!  OK enough with the exclamation marks, just goes to show you how much I love this side dish!!!!!!  Ok really, I am done with them...I must say that when I say truffles, I don't mean the chocolate things you can never put down after just one, I mean those delectable fungi called truffles. You don't need a lot of them to make it thanks to another wonderful cheese called sottocenere.  If you can't find it at your local store in the specialty cheese section go to a cheese shop and if they don't have it, I am sure they can get some for you. Sottocenere cheese is a semi-soft cheese that is studded with the goodness of truffles.  Now if you want to use truffle mushrooms you can or any wild mushrooms like morel, porcini, chanterelle,  or lobster.  If you can't use those it will still be good with a regular supermarket mushroom.

2 tbsp butter, divided

1 tbsp olive oil
5 cups sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
5 medium russet potatoes, sliced thin
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
6 oz sottocenere cheese, grated
2 cups cream
1 cup chicken broth

1. Slice up your mushrooms.  Heat 1 tablespoon butter and your olive oil a large saute pan on medium high heat.  Saute mushrooms for 15-20 minutes until they are all nicely browned.

2. Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Slice your potatoes very thin, using a vegetable slicer if you have one, so they are of the same thickness.

3. In the bottom of your casserole dish spread with 1 tablespoon of butter and your clove of minced garlic.  Layer with 1/3 of the potatoes, sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, half your mushrooms, just about half of your cheese, save a little for the top, repeat with another layer, then top with potatoes.

4.  Poor in a cup of chicken stock and 2 cups of heavy cream.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and a bit more thyme.  Top with the remaining cheese.

5. Cover very loosely with foil making sure it is not touching the potatoes.  Bake for 45 minutes, remove foil and continue baking another 15-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbly.  Cool slightly before serving, and enjoy!

Please let me know what you thought of it! A few more exclamations are needed!!!!!

Recipe courtesy of Chef John from Food Wishes.