potatoes

Since being married I have had the good fortune (or not) of moving house quite a few times over the years which has also entailed living in three countries. One thing has remained constant, though, and that is my love for cookbooks - I've never stopped buying them wherever I was living. Consequently, when buying a book I always wrote the date and where I was living at the time inside the front cover.  Thank goodness I've done this because when I open up a cookbook I'm immediately transported back to that particular time, the memories of that house and stage of my life.

I bought Clarissa's Comfort Food when I lived in an English house in the Berkshire Downs in 2008, the year this book was published. In the winter of living in that house the boiler broke down and for ten days we had no hot water and no heating. TEN whole days. Up until then, I had never in my life thought about heating and hot water. Needless to say, bathing in a hip bath made of about 15 kettles of boiling water, getting out if it to dry and dress as fast as possible because the bathroom was like the Arctic, for over a week, made me realise very quickly how I had taken these luxuries for granted for so long.

Clarissa's Comfort Food seemed to be apt for the time I lived in that house. It delivered exactly what it promised, particularly during that bloody cold winter. Each recipe I made was comforting, reminiscent of childhood dishes made by grandmothers, old-fashioned and timeless. This recipe for potatoes (which Clarissa says are great with roasted meat), is cooked slowly with cream and is the best of its type I've ever made. Truly.

The dish is simplicity itself and, like the entire book, reflects Clarissa's no fuss approach. Her writing is stylish, simple, witty and intelligent. She writes in the familiar way she speaks, interspersing fact with tale and anecdote, always entertaining and with just the right dose of sense and perspective. She's had a very interesting life and despite her background, never comes across as being superior or a know-all. She knows all when it comes to food, however, and I imagine she is not impressed by any food trends or fashions in dining. She brings food to the table precisely how it should be: simple, pared down and utterly delicious.

For this recipe, I used King Edward potatoes, double cream, tomatoes, thyme, butter, nutmeg and salt.

The potatoes were sliced thinly and washed well to remove the starch. They were layered, sprinkled with nutmeg, salt and pepper over each layer until the casserole dish was half filled, then half the cream was added.

Repeat layering of potatoes and seasoning then top with tomatoes and a few sprigs of thyme, finishing off by pouring the rest of the cream on top.

It is left to cook long and slow in a low oven and when cooked ... well, look at this:

My photos do not do justice to the utterly buttery creamy and delicious cheesy-like flavours from this slow cooked gratin. The double cream became soft and cheese-like in texture.

Verdict: Sublime. Truly. You can just see some of the white cream which has melded with the butter to produce a gorgeously soft cheese consistency and flavour. This was simple and so delicious. Even better than potatoes Dauphinois.

Who can make this? Anybody, as long as a grown-up slices the potatoes. Get the teenagers involved in helping with the Sunday roast.

pommes clarise
Clarissa's Comfort Food, Clarissa Dickson Wright, Kyle Cathie Limited, London, 2008