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Try out a creamy gratin that combines potatoes, smoked trout, and cavolo nero, all smothered in a herb-infused cream sauce and finished with gruyere. The gratin is the ideal cosy potato main course. And for flavorful twist on roast potatoes, try crisp roast potatoes coated in a aromatic butter emulsion made with white wine.

Smoked Trout and Cavolo Nero Potato Gratin

Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 15 min
Serves 4

600ml rich cream
3 garlic, peeled and bashed
2 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
Grated peel of 1 citrus
A pinch of nutmeg
Seasoning
25g butter
1 brown onion, peeled and cut into thin slices
200g Tuscan kale, de-stemmed, leaves cut
750g maris piper, peeled and cut into 3mm-thick slices
200g cold smoked trout
3 branches dill, minced
150g shredded gruyere cheese

Pour the cream into a saucepan and add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and a dash of nutmeg. Salt well with salt and white pepper, then set over a low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, to flavor and reduce. Take out and discard the garlic and herbs.

Heat the butter in a pan on a medium flame, chuck in the sliced onions and saute for several minutes, until tender. Stir in the cavolo nero, salt liberally and saute until the cabbage wilts. Turn off the heat.

Place the sliced potatoes in a layer in the bottom of a large baking baking dish. Layer with a portion of the onions and cavolo nero, then drizzle some of the cream mixture and salt. Add with slices of smoked trout and a handful of chopped dill, then top with some cheese. Continue the steps until you get to the top of the baking dish, so that the last layer is potatoes topped with cream and cheese.

Cook at a moderate oven for 105 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 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 bouillon cube
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
200ml white wine
½ shallot, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
A grating of nutmeg
2 spice cloves
Zest of 1 citrus, cut into strips
50g butter
2 branches rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 stalks fresh thyme, leaves removed and minced
3 stalks sage, leaves plucked and minced

Put the quartered potatoes in a saucepan of water, include the stock cube and season with salt. Heat , then cook the potatoes for seven to 10 minutes, until they easily pierced. Strain, then place a tea towel over the colander and let to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the oven to 200C.

Add the oil into a baking tray and put it in the oven to get really hot. Once the potatoes are ready, carefully transfer them to the hot oil and coat with a utensil, so they're completely coated. Bake for 30 minutes, then give them a shake and put back in the oven for additional time.

In the meantime, place a saucepan on a high heat, pour in the white wine, then mix in the shallots, garlic, nutmeg, cloves, and lemon zest, and reduce until the liquid has reduced by half. Stir in the butter and herbs, then remove and throw away the cloves and lemon zest. Now, the potatoes ought to be done.

Toss the potatoes in the butter emulsion, pepper and serve hot.