Living Off Your Larder

Listen: Strains from Hardy Strictly Bluegrass
Drink: Water

Spouse took the children to a birthday party this afternoon, so I took the opportunity to use up some items languishing in our larder: a few German Butterball potatoes in the pantry; some baked chicken breasts in the fridge already used for weeknight salads for the adults and a few chicken quesadillas for the under-six crowd; a cup or so of some dry wild rice mix. The result was potato gratin and creamy chicken soup.

Potato Gratin

The recipe for potato gratin is based on the version set forth in Alice Waters' In The Green Kitchen. My gratin pan is smaller than the 14 inch pan used in the cook book recipe, and I reversed the proportion of homemade chicken stock to cream in addition to using less liquid and fewer potatoes. The gratin relies primarily on starch from the potatoes for its texture, and the Butterballs worked better than previous attempts with Carolas and Yukon Golds. This time, I also used my mother's hand-me-down junior mandoline for very thin, uniform slices. The recipe basically calls for you to (1) simmer chicken stock, cream, salt, and bay leaf; (2) while layering thinly sliced, peeled potatoes in a buttered gratin pan. Heat the oven to 375 degrees, assemble the gratin by layering the potato slices over each other like rooftop shingles, and gently pour the stock and cream around the sides of the pan until it comes about 3/4 up the side and rolls over the top of the potatoes when you press gently on the top with a spatula. I top with a sprinkle of kosher salt and a few grinds of white pepper. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the foil from the gratin and crank up the heat to 400 degrees. Sprinkle chopped fresh thyme over the top, along with a little more salt and pepper, and let it bubble away until nicely browned on top.

Creamy Chicken Soup

Because I was guessing at the right amount of liquid for the gratin, I had about a cup of cream and stock left over from the gratin. I also had two cups of plain stock left over, because I tend to put up stock in quarts. Bring plain stock to a boil, then simmer with finely diced carrot, celery, and leek (for this amount of liquid, I used one carrot, one celery stalk, and one leek). When the vegetables are just tender, add chopped cooked chicken and the stock/cream combination. Add a scoop or two of the cooked wild rice, and bring back up to a simmer. Beat one tablespoon softened butter with one tablespoon flour, and whisk into the simmering soup. Let soup simmer long enough to thicken and to get rid of any floury taste. A splash of good sherry would be a welcome addition. This soup is a family favorite, especially with thick slices of toasted challah bread.

Enjoy.