Purple Potato Gratin
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon butter
2
tablespoons flour
2/3 cup grated cheese
2 lbs purple potatoes, unpeeled
and sliced thinly
1 cup sliced shallots
1 tablespoon olive oil
4
rashers bacon
1/2 cup grated parmesan
salt/pepper to taste
To make
the gratin sauce place the butter into a small pan and melt. Add flour and stir
to combine, cooking over medium heat for about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and
stir until thickened. Stir in cheese, when melted remove from heat. Salt and
pepper to taste.
In a frying pan, add the olive oil and shallots. Sautee
until shallots are slightly brown and carmelized. Remove from the pan. Add bacon
and cook until cooked through but not crispy (it will get crispy in a later
portion of the recipe, don't worry). Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces.
Grease a gratin dish or shallow baking dish. Add half of the sliced
potatoes to the dish. Sprinkle the shallots over the potato layer. Add the
remaining potato slices to the dish. Pour the gratin sauce over the top of the
potatoes, spooning into any visible cracks and crevices. Top with parmesan
cheese. As a final step, add the bacon over the top. Place into a preheated 350
degree oven for 40 minutes.