Potato and Sorrel Gratin

When a friend offered me sorrel from her garden I accepted gladly. I love the tangy flavor of this green leafy vegetable and will always buy it if I see it in my farmers’ market. You don’t need much to contribute lots of lemony flavor and vitamins C, A, iron, calcium and magnesium. The gratin is not a typical creamy sliced potato gratin; it’s more like a potato pie. I cook the potatoes first, then slice or dice and toss with the wilted sorrel, eggs, milk and cheese.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small or medium-size Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
• Salt to taste
• 8 ounces sorrel, stemmed and washed in 2 changes of water
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
• Olive oil or butter for the baking dish
• 4 eggs
• 1 ½ cups milk (2 percent)
• 3 ounces Gruyère, grated (3/4 cup)
• 1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)
• Freshly ground pepper

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

    296 calories; 11 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 148 milligrams cholesterol; 277 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Serves 6 to 8

Preparation

1. Place potatoes in a wide saucepan and cover with water. Add salt to taste and bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover partially and gently boil potatoes for 20 minutes, or until tender all the way through but firm enough to slice. Drain, return the potatoes to the pan, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove from the pot and using a towel to grip the potatoes if they are too hot to handle, slice about 1/2 inch thick, or if you prefer, cut in dice. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile stem and wash sorrel leaves. Heat a wide skillet over high heat and add the sorrel, in batches if necessary. Stir until sorrel has wilted in the liquid left on the leaves after washing. The color will go from bright green to drab olive and the sorrel will melt down to what looks like a purée. Don’t worry, it will be chopped and mixed with the other ingredients and you won’t mind the color. When all of the sorrel has wilted, remove from heat and transfer to a strainer or a colander. Rinse briefly with cold water, then press or squeeze out excess liquid. Chop medium-fine. Transfer to bowl with the potatoes, toss together and season with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub sides and bottom of a 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish or gratin with the cut side of the garlic clove. Oil dish with olive oil. Mince remaining garlic and add to potatoes and sorrel.
4. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Add salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon). Whisk in milk. Add to potatoes and sorrel and stir well to distribute sorrel evenly throughout the mixture. Stir in cheeses and freshly ground pepper, and scrape into the baking dish.
5. Bake 45 minutes, or until set and the top and sides are nicely browned. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes or longer before serving.

• Advance preparation: You can cook the potatoes and sorrel up to a day ahead. The gratin keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Reheat in a medium oven for about 20 minutes.

1 hour 30 minutes