Flavorful Spud Creations: Smoked Trout Gratin and Mulled Wine Roasties

Try out a luxurious gratin featuring potatoes, smoked trout, and cavolo nero, all smothered in a seasoned cream sauce and crowned with gruyere. It is the ultimate hearty potato entree. As a savory take on classic roasties, prepare crisp roast potatoes tossed in a herb-infused butter emulsion using white wine.

Layered Potato and Fish Bake

Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 15 min
Serves 4

600ml rich cream
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
2 sprigs rosemary sprigs
3 sprigs thyme sprigs
Zest of 1 fresh lemon
Grated nutmeg
Salt and white pepper
25g butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced thin
200g black kale, stem removed, leaves roughly sliced
750g potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
200g sliced smoked trout
3 stalks dill, finely chopped
150g grated gruyere

Add the cream into a pot and mix in the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and a grating of nutmeg. Season generously with salt and white pepper, then put over a medium-low heat and heat for about 10 minutes, to blend and thicken. Scoop out and throw away the garlic and herbs.

Heat the butter in a pan on a medium heat, chuck in the sliced onions and fry for a few minutes, until translucent. Stir in the cavolo nero, season liberally and cook until the cabbage cooks down. Remove from the heat.

Arrange the thinly sliced potatoes in a row in the bottom of a deep baking baking dish. Layer with a portion of the onions and cavolo nero, then add some of the cream mixture and season. Layer with pieces of smoked trout and a sprinkling of chopped dill, then sprinkle over some cheese. Continue the layering process until you reach the top of the baking dish, making sure the top layer is potatoes covered with cream and cheese.

Bake at 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½ for an hour and 45 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.

White Mulled Wine Roast Potatoes

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

6 potatoes, peeled and halved
1 vegetable stock cube
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp cooking oil
200ml wine
½ small onion, peeled and finely diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
A pinch of nutmeg
2 whole cloves
Peel from 1 citrus, in strips
50g rich butter
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves plucked and finely chopped
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and finely chopped
3 stalks fresh sage, leaves picked and minced

Place the quartered potatoes in a pot of water, mix in the stock cube and season with salt. Boil , then simmer the potatoes for several minutes, until they are tender. Remove water, then cover a cloth over the colander and let to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C.

Add the oil into a roasting pan and set it in the oven to get really hot. Once the potatoes are ready, slowly place them to the hot oil and coat with a pair of tongs, so they're evenly covered. Bake for 30 minutes, then shake the tray and place in the oven for additional time.

Meanwhile, place a pot on a strong heat, include the white wine, then mix in the shallots, garlic, nutmeg, cloves, and lemon zest, and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Stir in the butter and herbs, then take out and discard the cloves and lemon zest. By this point, the potatoes ought to be done.

Coat the potatoes in the sauce, salt and serve hot.

Lynn Alvarez
Lynn Alvarez

A tech enthusiast and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in helping businesses adapt to the digital age.