Growing up in Southern Louisiana, comfort foods were the star of my childhood. Whether we were gathering with friends over bowls full of gumbo or court-bouillon on the weekend, making red beans and rice on Mondays, or spooning my mothers’ favorite weeknight-friendly green bean, ham, and potato stew, the bowl was the vessel and the warm food what got us through long days. This last dish was the kind that you could cozy up with and eat for days, simmered low and slow until the flavors melded and the potatoes were tender. It wasn’t an eloquent dish, per se, but it was one that warmed the hearts of almost anyone who ate it, especially during these long end-of-winter days.
This Potatoes au Gratin pulls notes from my mother’s homey stew but really deserves a class of its own. Deeply caramelized shallots cooked in a dry white wine form the base of the green beans, which are layered, almost in a lasagna-style method, along with strips of salty prosciutto, thinly sliced potatoes, and rich shredded gruyère cheese. Warming nutmeg is sprinkled in with just a dash of cayenne for heat. And it’s all topped with a not-so-bashful layer of gruyère and sharp cheddar that’s cooked until it just begins to bubble and turn crisp.
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