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Try out a rich gratin that combines potatoes, smoked trout, and cavolo nero, all coated in a seasoned cream sauce and finished with a cheesy crust. This dish is the perfect cosy potato centerpiece. For a tasty variation on crispy spuds, cook crisp roast potatoes coated in a lightly spiced butter emulsion using white wine.

Potato Gratin with Smoked Trout and Kale

Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 15 min
Serves 4

600ml rich cream
3 garlic, peeled and bashed
2 sprigs rosemary sprigs
3 branches thyme
Grated peel of 1 lemon
Grated nutmeg
Seasoning
25g butter
1 brown onion, peeled and sliced thin
200g cavolo nero, de-stemmed, leaves cut
750g starchy potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
200g cold fish
3 stalks dill, minced
150g grated gruyere cheese

Place the cream into a saucepan and add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and a dash of nutmeg. Spice generously with salt and white pepper, then put over a medium-low heat and heat for about 10 minutes, to flavor and reduce. Remove and discard the garlic and herbs.

Melt the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat, add the sliced onions and fry for four to five minutes, until tender. Add the cavolo nero, salt liberally and saute until the cabbage softens. Remove from the heat.

Arrange the sliced potatoes in a layer in the bottom of a oven-safe baking baking dish. Cover with a amount of the onions and cavolo nero, then add some of the cream mixture and pepper. Layer with pieces of smoked trout and a sprinkling of chopped dill, then sprinkle over some cheese. Repeat the process until you get to the top of the baking dish, so that the last layer is potatoes covered with cream and cheese.

Bake at a moderate oven for an hour and 45 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.

Spiced White Wine Roasties

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

6 maris piper, peeled and cut into quarters
1 vegetable stock cube
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp oil
200ml white wine
½ shallot, peeled and chopped
3 garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Nutmeg
2 whole cloves
Peel from 1 fresh lemon, peeled off in strips
50g rich butter
2 branches fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 stalks thyme, leaves removed and chopped
3 sprigs sage, leaves plucked and minced

Place the quartered potatoes in a pot of water, add the stock cube and season with salt. Boil , then cook the potatoes for seven to 10 minutes, until they are tender. Strain, then lay a towel over the colander and let to steam-dry for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to a hot oven.

Pour the oil into a tray and put it in the oven to get really hot. When the potatoes are steamed, slowly transfer them to the hot oil and coat with a pair of tongs, so they're well oiled. Bake for 30 minutes, then give them a shake and return in the oven for another 20 minutes.

In the meantime, set a large pan on a strong heat, pour in the white wine, then add the shallots, garlic, nutmeg, cloves, and lemon zest, and simmer until the liquid has halved. Whisk in the butter and herbs, then fish out and throw away the cloves and lemon zest. By this point, the potatoes are likely cooked.

Mix the potatoes in the sauce, pepper and enjoy right away.