Au Gratin Potatoes Let's Have Some Fun Cooking with Sandy

Okay, my husband and I have ate at a couple of restaurants which prepare this wonderful potato dish.   One restaurtant is a great steak house downtown and a great seafood restaurant in Galveston.  There is this dish of paper thin sliced potatoes stacked perfectly, moist and delicious and has a precision cut showing all layers.  These potatoes go well with steak, seafood, chicken or with a salad, and a great bottle of red wine.  One kitchen tool I encourage you to use is the Mandolin Slicer.  Please be careful with the use of this kitchen tool, I sliced the slide of my finger Sunday, preparing these potatoes.  The main thing to do is just have fun!
 

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds of red potatoes, do not peel until you ready to assemble the potatoes.  I used 3 red potatoes which were about the size of a closed fist.  If you peel too early they will brown, these potatoes should not be soaked in water until ready to use. 
4 tablespoons of butter, cold and sliced
6 tablespoons of olive oil – place the olive oil in a small bowl, such as ramekin
2/3 to 3/4 cup Asiago grated cheese
Black pepper to taste
¼ cup of heavy cream
 

Spray a Teflon coated 7 ½ X 3 ¾ X 2 ¼ loaf pan with a non stick spray

Peel and slice the potato one at a time, paper thin with your Mandolin Slicer.  Place a thin layer of the potatoes and brush the layer of potatoes with the olive oil, sprinkle the layer with the Asiago cheese and black pepper.  Keep layering the potatoes as indicated, always adding the Asiago between the layers, but trading off with the butter and olive oil each time you layer. 

Approximately,  every 3^rd layer add 2 tablespoons  of the heavy cream.  Note this recipe is not overflowing with oil, butter, and cream.  You want the layers to be moist but not soggy.  Layer as many potatoes as you can until you can longer add additional potatoes.  End your last layer brushing the potatoes with the olive oil, black pepper, and Asiago cheese. 

Bake at 350 degrees until tender. Place on cookie sheet.   I covered my potatoes until the last 15 minutes of cooking time.  Bake approximately about an hour, no longer.  Once they are tender, let your potatoes cool and then drain the excess liquid.  You can slice in the pan and serve. 

The potatoes slice better when they have been cooled somewhat.  This is a small amount to make, but it can be a way to figure out what you will want to do next as far as amount and dish.  I would use a dish with high sides, the more layers the better. For color you can add parsley on top.  This recipe will serve 3 to 4.