Homemade Potato Gratins（焗土豆饼/焗马铃薯饼）

上个星期就开始研究这个食谱。 一共试了三次。

第一次失败，味道可以，不难吃，但口感差。

第二总算成功。

第三终于掌握到。而且很容易做，只要你家有马铃薯就行。其他的材料可以视乎你家有什么，就用什么。而我们家的常客是马铃薯，椰花菜，菠菜叶， 莞荽等。每星期都会超市去补货。

有朋友问我食谱，所以，就用英文写了下来。顺便post这里。（抱歉，暂时懒译为中文。）

那么potato gratin到底是什么？我第一次吃实在宜家（IKEA）。谁知，一吃钟情。但一直迟迟未有动手。直到刚过的暑假，再次在宜家遇上。回家后决定自己试一试做。可以给姐姐带上学做午餐。加上我家的爸爸，姐姐和都爱吃马铃薯食物。Mashed potatoes，jacket potatoes，hash brown等。

一开始误会了它是hash brown。但爸爸说不是，但却记不起其名字。直到两天前在超市看到ready made的。原来叫potato gratin。查了一查，才知道它来自法国。

也顺道查一查gratin的中文译法。但gratin本身在谷歌翻译是焗。当输入potato gratin便直译土豆焗。不是很make sense。由于它的长相跟Hash Brown有几分相似。结果，我也用谷歌译了一译Hash Brown，叫炸土豆饼。结论是potato gratin大概可以成为焗土豆饼吧。

This recipe is inspired by the IKEA potatoes gratin, which is served with the Salmon meal,

and enough to make 10-12 potatoes gratins. I use the 12 cups baking trays.

Not too big or small, just the right size for my kids to bring to school for lunch.

Main ingredients:

1. 5-6 big potatoes - peel and cut into cubes, boiled till just soft, can poked through with fork. Drain the water and mash ⅔ of the cube potatoes, keep ⅓ unmashed.

2. 6-7 small broccoli florets - fresh or boiled. Coarsely chopped.

3. 5-10g fresh spinach, or baby spinach, washed and chopped. Optional

4. 5-10 strands of fresh coriander, chopped. Or dried coriander. Optional.

5. Bacon, chopped and baked till light brown, keep the bacon oil to grease the baking tray. Optional. Can be replaced with ham, cooked salmon chunks or others. I personally like bacon, because of the chunky texture.

Seasoning:

2 tsp of garlic powder

2 tsp of ground white pepper

¼ tsp of turmeric powder. Optional.

½ to 1 tsp of salt. Can skip if you prefer less salty.

1 tsp of chicken powder. Optional.

60 gram of cheese. Either 3 slices of Cheddar cheese, chopped. Or, 3-4 tbsp of shredded Mozzarella Cheese. Or, grated Parmesan Cheese. Or Ricotta Cheese. Whichever available. Can put all 3, but should be around 60 gram as the cheese will increase the saltiness of the gratin, except Mozzarella Cheese, generally not very salty.

Last but not least 2 tbsp of full cream sour cream, or mayonnaise, to bind ingredients together. I like full cream sour cream as it generally has less sugar content.

Remember, bacon, salt, chicken powder and cheese are salty. Have to adjust to suit your preference.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 165C. Grease the 12 cups non-stick baking tray with the bacon oil. Or 1-2 tsp of butter, melted.

2. Mix all the ingredients together first, then mix in the seasoning.

3. Last step， is to add the sour cream, or mayo, mix well to bind everything together.

4. Fill baking tray cup full, up to the rim, with the mixture. Press to compress the ingredients, so that they won’t break away easily when cooked.

5. Bake in 165C for 15-20 minutes, till turn brown. Remove from oven, let the gratin cool off a little. The gratin will shrink a little. If not, use a butter knife to gently release gratin from sticking to the tray.

Apart from the basic ingredients, potatoes and broccoli, you can add or replace some of ingredients, with onion, carrot, celery and others. Or replace broccoli with just spinach. Or make it slightly spicy with ground Chili or ground Cayenne Pepper or ground Hot Paprika. Be creative.

Or, you may replace potato with sweet potato.

Moreover, it’s a good way to train my kids to eat vegetables that they don’t like, such as red pepper or fresh coriander.