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Indulge in a luxurious gratin featuring potatoes, smoked trout, and cavolo nero, all enveloped in a herb-infused cream sauce and crowned with gruyere. This dish is the ideal comforting potato main course. As a tasty variation on roast potatoes, prepare crisp roast potatoes coated in a lightly spiced butter emulsion featuring white wine.

Layered Potato and Fish Bake

Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 15 min
Serves 4

600ml rich cream
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and bashed
2 branches fresh rosemary
3 stalks thyme sprigs
Grated peel of 1 citrus
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper
25g butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
200g Tuscan kale, de-stemmed, leaves cut
750g maris piper, peeled and cut into slices
200g sliced smoked trout
3 sprigs dill, finely chopped
150g finely grated gruyere

Place the cream into a saucepan and include the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and a pinch of nutmeg. Season generously with salt and white pepper, then put over a gentle flame and simmer for about 10 minutes, to flavor and creamify. Scoop out and remove the garlic and herbs.

Melt the butter in a pan on a moderate heat, toss in the sliced onions and cook for four to five minutes, until translucent. Include the cavolo nero, salt liberally and cook until the cabbage softens. Take off the heat.

Place the sliced potatoes in a single layer in the bottom of a oven-safe 9cm x 12cm baking dish. Top with a amount of the onions and cavolo nero, then drizzle some of the cream mixture and season. Add with pieces of smoked trout and a dusting of chopped dill, then top with some cheese. Carry on the layering process until you fill the top of the baking dish, ensuring the last layer is potatoes covered with cream and cheese.

Bake at a moderate oven for about 2 hours, or until cooked all the way through.

Spiced White Wine Roasties

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

6 starchy potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 vegetable stock cube
Flaky salt and black pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
200ml dry white wine
½ shallot, peeled and finely diced
3 garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Nutmeg
2 cloves
Peel from 1 citrus, cut into strips
50g butter
2 branches rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 branches fresh thyme, leaves picked and minced
3 branches sage, leaves picked and chopped

Add the quartered potatoes in a pan of cool water, include the stock cube and season with salt. Heat , then simmer the potatoes for seven to 10 minutes, until they easily pierced. Drain, then cover a tea towel over the colander and allow to dry for 10 minutes. At the same time, preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Pour the oil into a baking tray and set it in the oven to get very hot. After the potatoes are dried, gently add them to the hot oil and coat with a tongs, so they're evenly covered. Roast for 30 minutes, then give them a shake and return in the oven for 20 more minutes.

While roasting, put a pot on a high flame, add the white wine, then mix in the shallots, garlic, nutmeg, cloves, and lemon zest, and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Stir in the butter and herbs, then fish out and remove the cloves and lemon zest. Now, the potatoes ought to be done.

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