Cheesy scalloped potatoes make a great side to any dinner. But they are magic at certain holiday meals, no matter the season. These have abold bite of mustard and are made a bit French by the addition of endive.
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon unsalted butter
- 3 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
- 1½ pound peeled and thinly sliced idaho potatoes
- 3 clove garlic peeled
- 2 cup whole milk
- 2 cup water
- 1 large belgian endive, leaves separated individually
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 6 ounce comte cheese, coarsely grated
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 10″ x 7″ inch oval baking dish.
Using a mortar and pestle, grind 1 teaspoon of the mustard seeds into a very coarse powder. Set aside. In a saucepan, combine sliced potatoes, garlic, milk and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the liquid to a simmer. Add the endive leaves on top, making sure they are fully submerged. Cook about 5 minutes until the potatoes begin to soften and the endive is blanched. Drain the potatoes and endive, reserving ½‑cup of liquid. Discard garlic cloves. Set potatoes aside.
Combine the reserved cooking liquid with the cream. Whisk in the Dijon mustard and the roughly ground mustard seeds. Season with salt and white pepper. Layer the potatoes and endive leaves in the baking dish, sprinkling some of the flour and cheese between each layer. Reserve ⅓ of the cheese for the top. Pour the mustard cream mixture over the potatoes until it comes a bit more than halfway up the side of the dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and distribute the remaining 2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds evenly across the cheese.
Place the baking dish on a cookie sheet to catch anything that may bubble over. Bake at 325 degrees F about 1 hour until the potatoes are completely cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.