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Try out a creamy gratin with layers of potatoes, smoked trout, and cavolo nero, all enveloped in a seasoned cream sauce and finished with gruyere. This dish is the ideal comforting potato entree. For a tasty take on classic roasties, try crisp roast potatoes tossed in a herb-infused butter emulsion made with white wine.

Potato Gratin with Smoked Trout and Kale

Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 15 min
Serves 4

600ml heavy cream
3 garlic, peeled and bashed
2 stalks rosemary
3 branches thyme
Grated peel of 1 fresh lemon
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt and white pepper
25g butter
1 onion, peeled and sliced thin
200g Tuscan kale, de-stemmed, leaves chopped
750g potatoes, peeled and cut into 3mm-thick slices
200g sliced trout
3 stalks fresh dill, minced
150g finely grated gruyere

Pour the cream into a pot and add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and a grating of nutmeg. Spice liberally with salt and white pepper, then place over a medium-low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, to blend and reduce. Scoop out and throw away the garlic and herbs.

Heat the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat, add the sliced onions and cook for several minutes, until translucent. Include the cavolo nero, season well and fry until the cabbage wilts. Remove from the heat.

Place the thinly sliced potatoes in a row in the bottom of a oven-safe baking baking dish. Layer with a portion of the onions and cavolo nero, then pour over some of the cream mixture and salt. Layer with slices of smoked trout and a handful of chopped dill, then sprinkle over some cheese. Continue the process until you reach the top of the baking dish, making sure the final layer is potatoes covered with cream and cheese.

Bake at 170C for 105 minutes, or until soft all the way through.

White Mulled Wine Roast Potatoes

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min, plus cooling
Serves 4

6 starchy potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 vegetable stock cube
Seasoning
4 tbsp oil
200ml dry white wine
½ shallot, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Nutmeg
2 spice cloves
Strips of 1 lemon, cut into strips
50g butter
2 branches rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked and minced
3 sprigs sage, leaves removed and chopped

Put the prepared potatoes in a pot of water, include the stock cube and season with salt. Heat , then boil the potatoes for seven to 10 minutes, until they easily pierced. Remove water, then place a cloth over the colander and allow to dry for 10 minutes. While waiting, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Place the oil into a baking tray and put it in the oven to get really hot. When the potatoes are steamed, carefully transfer them to the hot oil and turn with a pair of tongs, so they're completely coated. Cook for 30 minutes, then shake the tray and return in the oven for additional time.

Meanwhile, put a pot on a high heat, include the white wine, then add the shallots, garlic, nutmeg, cloves, and lemon zest, and simmer until the liquid has halved. Stir in the butter and herbs, then fish out and remove the cloves and lemon zest. At this stage, the potatoes should be ready.

Coat the potatoes in the butter emulsion, season and serve immediately.