Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

by: KATHERYN'S KITCHEN

November 12, 2013

(here's the scallop potatoes recipe from a finalist entry in the 2013 Your Best Potato Recipe)

Ingredients

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 4 crushed garlic cloves
• 3 peppercorns
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 large Spanish or yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes (2 to 3 pounds), peeled
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

1. In saucepan, bring cream, gar­lic, pep­per­corns, thyme, and salt to just under boil; reduce heat to low, cover and sim­mer for 15 min­utes... Remove from heat; set aside...
2. Heat your oven to 300° F.
3. Mean­while, in skil­let, heat oil over medium-low heat and cook onion, stir­ring often, until light brown, about 45 min­utes... Slice pota­toes as thinly as pos­si­ble... (using a man­do­line if avail­able)
4. Layer 1/4 of the pota­toes in greased about 8 x 12-inch glass bak­ing or casse­role dish; top with 1/3 of the onion and 1/4 of the cheese... Repeat twice. Top with remain­ing pota­toes... Strain cream mix­ture over pota­toes, shak­ing casse­role to dis­trib­ute evenly... Sprin­kle with remain­ing cheese...
5. Bake in 300°F oven on a baking sheet (to catch drips) until ten­der and a knife inserted into the dish pierces pota­toes eas­ily, 1 1/2 to 2 hours... (Make-ahead: Let cool, then cover and refrig­er­ate for up to 2 days... Reheat, tented with tin foil, in 375° F oven for 30 minutes)
6. Tip: For a lighter ver­sion, steep gar­lic, pep­per­corns, thyme, and salt in 2 cups of (500 mL) milk... Then make béchamel sauce: In saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons but­ter over medium-low heat... Add 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour... Cook, stir­ring, for 1 minute... Whisk in strained milk mix­ture, and sim­mer everything for 5 min­utes until slightly thickened... Pour over pota­toes