Au gratin is a French term used in cooking meaning to prepare something with a topping of browned breadcrumbs or cheese. What a delightful concept! Vegetables and some seafood dishes are often prepared au gratin, but the most commonly recognized dish prepared using this method is probably potatoes au gratin. A quick and tasty side that pairs well alongside many meals, I make my potatoes au gratin using a cheese and beer-based sauce, then add more cheese on top for the finishing touch. I find that using a flavorful, malty beer that has just a little bit of bite works the best in this dish. Try using Pike Brewing’s Scotch Style Pike Kilt Lifter. This Seattle-born beer add flavors of full-bodied malt flavor and mild smokiness to this simple and hearty dish.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Makes: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
8 Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced into rounds
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups half and half
1 cup Pike Brewing’s Scotch Style Pike Kilt Lifter
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (plus more for topping)
¼ cup diced green onions
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add onion to the pan and sauté. Once the onion begins to sweat (about 2 minutes) add the garlic and continue sautéing until onion and garlic are lightly browned (another 2 minutes).
Remove garlic and onion mixture from pan and set aside. Over medium heat, add remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to pan and melt. Once melted, add flour to create a roux. Continuously stir mixture for several minutes, reducing heat if necessary to ensure that the roux does not burn. Once roux is smooth, add half-and-half and beer. Turn heat up to medium-high and stir mixture for 3 minutes, or until mixture has thickened considerably. Add salt, pepper, green onion and cheese, and continue stirring until all the cheese has melted.
In a casserole dish, combine potatoes and sauce, tossing to ensure that each potato slice is well coated. Place in oven and cook for 1 hour. Once potatoes are fully cooked, sprinkle reserved cheese over the top of the potatoes and broil on high for 1-2 minutes, or until top of potatoes are crisp and golden brown.
