French Potato Gratin: Gratin Dauphinois

"Gratin Dauphinois" is a classic French potato side dish from the area of the French Alps. You can use a baking dish, a casserole dish or a pie dish or pan (or a cake pan, for that matter). You can slice the potatoes with a knife, although if you have the adapter for a food processor, or another type of slicer, it will make the potato slices uniform. Just my own opinion here (hey, this isn't called "Pontificating" for nuthin' ... ah, nothing), but "gratin" in not a very common word in American English, and many Americans might associate it more with upscale restaurants or cooking. When I was a kid potatoes fixed similar to this dish were almost always called "scalloped potatoes" (regardless of the ingredients), but then one or more of the processed food companies had boxed versions of "scalloped potatoes," and another similar boxed version with cheese to be sprinkled on top, and for which they used the term "au gratin potatoes" (this was pronounced by the average American as if, "oh graw-tin potatoes," but this led some nameless smart-ass guy to called it, "old rotten potatoes."  

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds starchy potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch slices)
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons butter (for the baking dish/pan)
1/3 cup shredded Gruyère (you can substitute Swiss cheese/Emmentaler cheese)*

Heat oven to 300 F. Grease the bottom and sides of the baking dish or pan with butter. Slice the potatoes to a thickness of about two coins, like U.S. quarters. Pour a couple of tablespoons of cream into the dish and then swirl it around a little. It need not cover the bottom of the dish completely. Put about half of the potato slices into the dish, add a couple of tablespoons of cream around the tops of the potatoes, then sprinkle on half of the salt, half of the pepper, half of the nutmeg and half of the minced garlic. Add the rest of the potato slices and the remainder of the cream, then repeat the seasoning process. Add the shredded cheese over the top and bake the potatoes for about 100 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top of the gratin is nice and browned. Let the potatoes sit for about 15 to 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

* "Gruyère" is a type of firm whitish to light yellowish cheese produced in Switzerland, more so in the French-speaking areas (about 20 to 23% of Switzerland is French speaking), but is not uncommon in France, especially in regions adjacent to Switzerland. 
 
Unbaked Gratin Dauphinois ...

Serving...

Whole baked Gratin Dauphinois ... 

WORD HISTORY:
Revenge-This is really a three part word, with "re-," a common prefix, often meaning, "again, back, go back," and at times with the extended meaning, "to do over" ("redo, retry"), but the meaning of this prefix is not always tied to these meanings, but "seemingly" is more of an intensifier in some Latin-derived words. The second part is from Indo European "weieh," with the notion, "force, power, energy." This gave Latin "vis," with those same general meanings, and the accusative form is "vim," with "vin" being a variant form. It is related to both "vim" (energy, vitality) and "virility" (manly power, manhood), and both are Latin-derived words borrowed by English. Lastly, there is Indo European "deik," which had the notion, "to point, to show," and it is the ancestor of quite a number of English words, both native and borrowed; for instance, "toe," "token" and "teach," all from the Germanic roots of English, and "digit," "dictate" and "dictum" all borrowed from Latin. The Indo European form gave Latin "dicere/dicare," meaning, "to state, to declare, to give affirmation." Latin combined "vin" and "dicere/dicare" into "vindicare," meaning, "to assert, to make a claim to, to protect;" thus also, "to punish to give affirmation to a claim or to defend a claim contested by another." This was taken by Latin-based Old French as "revenchier," which then became "revengier," meaning, "to take revenge." English borrowed the word circa 1400 (perhaps just a little before that?). The noun form was borrowed from the French noun form "revenge" in the mid 1500s and meaning, "an infliction of defeat or punishment as retaliation for some previous act by another." The French noun had developed from the verb.       

Scalloped Celeriac & Potatoes

"Celeriac" is also called "celery root" by some, and it looks absolutely awful. If you want to scare someone on Halloween, go out dressed like a bulb of celeriac. Celeriac has a mild taste of celery and it's great in a dish like this. This is a gratin; that is, it has a bit of a crispy topping to it (see "Word History"). 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup celeriac, peeled and sliced or chopped
1 large potato, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped (don't leave big pieces, they take longer to cook)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons (approximately) butter or oil to grease the dish
1 1/4 cup shredded or chopped cheddar cheese or sharp American cheese
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 can evaporated milk (12 ounce)
1/2 to 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 to 3 tablespoons butter to top

In a sauce pan over low heat, add the butter and oil. Melt the butter and then gradually whisk in the flour until it forms a roux or paste. Now gradually add the chicken broth, whisking constantly until the broth has been completely added and it is combined and smooth. Now gradually add the milk in the same way, until it too is combined and smooth. Heat the oven to 400 F. In a bowl, mix together the celeriac, potato, onion, garlic, thyme, celery salt, black pepper and chopped parsley. Use some oil or butter to grease a baking dish, then add about half of the celeriac/potato mixture to the baking dish. Pour half of the milk/chicken broth sauce over the celeriac/potato mixture. Add the rest of the celeriac/potato mixture, and then add the rest of the sauce. Lightly shake the dish to make sure the contents settle. Scatter the cheese over the top, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cheese. Cut the butter into small portions and scatter it over the top. Put the lid or aluminum foil over the dish. Bake at 400 degrees (F) for 45 minutes covered, then about 20 to 30 minutes uncovered, or until the potatoes and celeriac are tender, and the topping is somewhat crispy. (NOTE: You can place the dish under the broiler briefly at the end to crisp up the topping, too, but be careful that it doesn't burn; it will need your constant attention.)

WORD HISTORY:
Grate (Gratin)-These words are closely related, going back to Indo European "gred/gret," with the meaning, "to scratch, to scrape." This gave Old Germanic "krattojanan," also meaning, "to scratch, to scrape," and this gave Frankish, a Germanic dialect of western Europe, "kratton," with the same meaning. This was absorbed by Old French, a Latin-based, but Germanic influenced language, as "grat(t)er," with the meaning, "to scrape, to scratch away, to rub or scrape away;" thus, "eradicate;" thus too, "destroy." This was borrowed by English as "grate" ("to scratch, to rub vigorously") in the latter 1300s.^ French also had "gratin," a noun for "crust" ("that which is scraped onto the top of food to form a top crust;" the word "seemingly" formed in the late 1500s?), which was borrowed by English, or at least popularized in English, circa 1800. "Grate" and "gratin"  are examples of  words of Germanic origin that were borrowed into other Germanic languages from a non Germanic-based language; in this case, French. I could not find a word in Old English that was a relative of "grate," or more precisely, Frankish "kratton," although there may have been one that was unrecorded (the common people usually could not read nor write) or that died out, but it seems strange to me, as other Germanic languages had forms. Back then, English used a number of words to say "scratch" or "scrape," including "screpan," which became modern "scrape."   

^ English also has the noun "grate," used for "a grill, a stove or a fireplace," or "a series of crisscrossed bars or strips (usually metal), used as a covering," but it is from a different source (I'll cover this word soon).    

Lamb Stew with Beans

This dish is known in the German state of Hessen as "Hammeleintopf," or, "Lammeintopf," depending upon the type of meat used. In German, a "Hammel" * is a castrated sheep, as opposed to a Lamm, a young sheep (see Word History). In English, the word used for such a male sheep is a "wether," which is certainly not at all common in the United States. ** Food wise, "Hammelfleisch" ("Fleisch" is literally "flesh," in English; that is, "meat") is what English speakers call "mutton," a word English borrowed from French. "Mutton" is not "commonly" seen in the United States, but elsewhere in the world it is, so use either "mutton" or "lamb" for this dish. I "essentially" adapted this recipe from, "Hessen: Kulinarische Streifzüge" (Hessen: Culinary Travels), by Frank Gerhard, photos by Hans Joachim Döbbelin, Sigloch Edition, 2008. 

Ingredients:

1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 15.5 ounce can white beans (Great Northern or navy), drained and rinsed
2 strips bacon, cut into about 1/2 inch strips
1 garlic knockwurst (or other garlic sausage), chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
water (see instructions below)
1 pound lamb, cut into small pieces (so that it will cook fairly fast)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (include the leaves, if the stalk has them)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil (or other oil, preferably taste neutral)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (or just use ketchup)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (or 2 sprigs fresh thyme)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon parsley
5 tablespoons cream or milk (I used canned evaporated milk)
3 or 4 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, flaked

In a heavy bottomed, oven safe pan (make sure to use a pan large enough; give some room, and the pan will need to be put under the broiler to finish the dish), heat the oil over medium heat, then add the onion, carrot, bacon, knockwurst and celery, cook for a couple of minutes, then add the potato and garlic. Stir to keep from sticking, cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the lamb, cook another 3 to 4 minutes, again stirring periodically. Add the beans, bay leaf, cloves, thyme, salt, pepper and water (just enough to bring it even with the other ingredients). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes. Make sure the meat is tender. Remove from heat for a couple of minutes while you turn on the oven broiler. Add the milk or cream and stir well. Add the breadcrumbs to the top, and top them with small flakes of butter. Place pan under the broiler, but at a little distance, depending upon your oven rack. Let the breadcrumbs brown and crust a bit, being careful not to let the topping burn. Remove the pan, let stand for a few minutes, sprinkle with some parsley and serve.  

 * The German noun "Hammel" has no living relatives in English, but English once had the verb, "hamelian," which meant "to mutilate," and there were related words in other Germanic languages. In German, the idea of "mutilate" eventually developed further into "castrate;" if you get my drift. German developed the noun "Hammel" from that meaning.  

** Here is the link to the article with the history of the word "wether:"   http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2012/06/erased-wealth-for-some-gains-for-guess.html

WORD HISTORY: 
Lamb-This word, while common in the Germanic languages, has an uncertain history beyond Germanic, although I tend to agree with those who feel it is distantly related to Greek "eláphi," meaning "deer," which seems to come from Indo European "lonbhos," which meant, "elk, deer." This may have also given Old Germanic it's form, "lambaz," which meant "lamb." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "lamb" and "lomb," depending upon dialect. Of course, eventually "lamb" won out, and it has remained in this spelling for all of these centuries. The other Germanic languages have: German "Lamm," ^ Low German Saxon "Lamm," West Frisian "laam," Dutch, Norwegian and Danish "lam," Swedish "lamm," and Icelandic "lamb."

^ Two things: the German form was also once spelled "lamb," and its modern plural, "Lämmer," was once, "lembir," showing that connection to the "b" sound, and certainly giving a boost to the connection to Indo European "lonbhos."