Name: Woodcut’s potato and mushroom gratin with fried sage and black garlic butter
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 100 gm butter, melted; 8 large Dutch cream potatoes (about 1.7kg), peeled; 10 Swiss brown mushrooms (about 120gm), thinly sliced; 100 ml pouring cream; 1 garlic clove; Fried sage leaves and lemon zest, to serve; Black garlic butter; 100 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature; 12 garlic cloves, roasted, peeled (see note); 25 gm black peeled garlic (see note); 150 ml vegetable stock; 1 tbsp lemon juice

“Potato gratin comes in many shapes and sizes,” says chef Ross Lusted. “I like mine thin and crisp on the base with just enough layers to retain that creamy texture. I make it in a cast-iron pan as the base can be caramelised over a flame once removed from the oven.”

Ingredients

100 gm butter, melted

8 large Dutch cream potatoes (about 1.7kg), peeled

10 Swiss brown mushrooms (about 120gm), thinly sliced

100 ml pouring cream

1 garlic clove

Fried sage leaves and lemon zest, to serve

Black garlic butter

100 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature

12 garlic cloves, roasted, peeled (see note)

25 gm black peeled garlic (see note)

150 ml vegetable stock

1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Brush a 22cm-square, 6cm-deep baking dish with melted butter.

Using a mandolin, cut potatoes widthways into 1mm-thick slices.

Preheat oven to 160˚C fan-forced. Arrange potato and mushroom slightly overlapping in a single layer to cover the base of pan. Drizzle with a little cream and melted butter; season to taste. Continue to layer potato drizzling with cream and butter as you layer. Place garlic in the centre, brush with butter and drizzle with cream.

Bake gratin until just set, if you cook gratin too quickly it will split the cream. Remove from oven and allow to cool (1 hour). Rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, for black garlic butter, place butter and garlic in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a piece of baking paper and freeze for 10 minutes to set, then cut into small pieces. Heat vegetable stock in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in butter, piece by piece until emulsified. Remove from heat and add juice and season to taste.

When you are ready to serve, preheat oven to 200˚C fan-forced and cook until top is golden (20 minutes). Serve gratin topped with zest, fried sage leaves and remaining black garlic butter.

This recipe also calls for resting, cooling (see method).

Roast garlic in a 180˚C oven wrapped in foil for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely before squeezing from skins; discard skins. Black garlic is available from select delicatessens and supermarkets.
Note

Ross Lusted

Photography by James Moffatt Photographer

Styling by Lucy Busuttil Stylist and Recipe Developer

Lucy Busuttil is an experienced food stylist and editor who has worked with leading print and broadcast brands in the food media industry in Australia for over 15 years. She also has a strong foundation as a leading chef for Michelin-starred restaurants in UK, US, France and Australia. After working as a chef for 15 years for some of the world's top restaurants, Lucy transitioned into the food media. Her vast experience and understanding of food make her styling and recipe writing uniquely accessible to her clients and their target audiences. Lucy is currently based in Sydney and works as a freelance food stylist and recipe writer, focusing on editorial, digital, and advertising content for luxury lifestyle brands. She curates beautiful editorial videos on food and drink and styles for editorial-leading food brands such as Gourmet Traveller and Delicious, as well as advertising and promotional content for some of the most renowned names in cuisine in the country.

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Ingredients

Method

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