Yotam Ottolenghi's cheddar and brown-butter pine nuts gratin

Name: Yotam Ottolenghi's cheddar and brown butter pine nut gratin recipe
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 60ml olive oil; 680g red onions, peeled, halved and sliced about 1cm thick; 30.00 ml dried sumac; 1.1kg (skin-on) yellow potatoes (we used Dutch cream potatoes), sliced using a mandoline or very thinly sliced into rounds; 800g green Swiss chard, leaves torn from stems (stems reserved for another use) and roughly shredded (about 6 packed cups/315g); 5g parsley; 6 garlic cloves, crushed; 60ml lemon; 225g mature cheddar, roughly grated (about 3 cups); 240ml chicken or vegetable stock; 60ml cream; 30g unsalted butter; 65g pine nuts

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P46 Cheddar and brown-butter pine nuts gratin

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by Yotam Ottolenghi

Dec 01, 2022

Yotam Ottolenghi takes a French classic and gives it a Middle Eastern spin in a flavourful dish you’ll want on your table this entertaining season.

For the sumac onions

1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
680g red onions, peeled, halved and sliced about 1cm thick
1 1/2 tbs dried sumac

For the gratin

1.1kg (skin-on) yellow potatoes (we used Dutch cream potatoes), sliced using a mandoline or very thinly sliced into rounds
800g green Swiss chard, leaves torn from stems (stems reserved for another use) and roughly shredded (about 6 packed cups/315g)
30g roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 2 tbs (5g) finely chopped parsley for garnish
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/4 cup (60ml) juice (from 2 lemons)
225g mature cheddar, roughly grated (about 3 cups)
240ml chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup (60ml) double cream

For the brown-butter pine nuts

30g unsalted butter
65g pine nuts

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare the onions: add the oil to a large, ovenproof frypan with a lid and heat over medium-high. Add the onions and 1 tsp salt to the hot oil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 25 minutes until softened and browned. Stir in the sumac and remove from the heat. Transfer the mixture to a medium heatproof bowl.
2.

Prepare the gratin: add the potatoes, shredded chard, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, 1 tbs salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper to a large bowl and mix well to combine. Fold through 3/4 of the sumac onions and 1/2 the cheese, then transfer everything to the frypan, smoothing out the top to even out the potato slices.
3.

In a medium measuring jug or bowl, combine the stock, cream and lemon juice, and pour this all over the potato mixture. Cover tightly with foil, then top with the lid. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the gratin from the oven and remove the lid and foil. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes until golden and bubbling. Remove from heat and let gratin settle for 10 minutes.
4.

Meanwhile, prepare the pine nuts: add the butter to a medium frypan and melt over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the pine nuts and 1/4 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes until the nuts are golden and the butter has browned. Add the buttered nuts to the bowl with the remaining sumac onions.
5.

When ready to serve, stir the extra parsley into the sumac onion mixture and spoon this all over the gratin.