It’s summer at last (well, almost), which means constantly reexamining recipes to figure out ways to simplify dinner (and minimize dishwashing) by doing things outdoors on the grill. Today, I bring you tarragon cream potatoes!
Scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin are both creamy gooey baked potato dishes, though the latter is marked by its cheese component and crumbly top. Today we’re talking about the former, the crowd-pleasing scalloped potato, but with the added tastes of tarragon and prosciutto, bacon’s pretty cousin.
Hunkered down in quarantine, I’ve kept the sturdy and stable potato as a pantry staple, and rich cream in the fridge as a quick slosh to fancy up sauces and add velvet elegancy to bland meals. Tonight, with Italian-marinated chicken and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus on the menu, I pondered how to invite potatoes to the party — and here’s what we came up with. I think you’ll love it.
Ingredients:
- A couple russet potatoes or a small handful of Yukon golds or something similar. Basically, you want the amount you’d normally prepare for two people.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Pam vegetable oil spray or something similar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
- Salt
- Pepper
- Optional: Prosciutto bits
Directions:
- Start by slicing your potatoes into thin discs, about 1/4 inch, arranging them on a baking sheet, brushing them with olive oil, and baking at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until cooked through. Once you hit 20 minutes, check every few minutes so you don’t overdue them. They may puff up slightly and gain a bit of color. Any very thin bits may brown more noticeably.
- Let potatoes cool for 20 minutes.
- Tear off two generous squares of aluminum foil, and for each square, set aside half the potatoes and half the prosciutto. Spray the foil with your Pam.
- On each square, arrange a pretty and thin layer of potatoes, shingling them against each other, topped by prosciutto, then topped by a thin layer of the remaining potatoes.
- Slightly fold up the foil around your potatoes to create a rim.
- Splash 2-3 tablespoons of cream over the potatoes.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of parmesan.
- Add 1-2 good shakes of tarragon; a sprinkle of salt; and a generous dash of pepper.
- Fold the foil by first seaming it loosely the long way, then rolling in the ends. It doesn’t need to be tight. You may want to be able to peak and check to see how things are going.
- On a gas or charcoal grill, put the packets over direct heat for 5-10 minutes to warm the contents.
- Move to indirect heat and cook for 15-20 minutes. Keep the lid on the grill as much as possible to keep the cream sauce mix hot and bubbling.
What you’ll get, when done, is an herbaceous, creamy, decadent dish that you won’t believe came off your grill. The tarragon is an earthy accent to the rich parmesan cream, and the prosciutto salty and crisp. I added some finely chopped fresh parsley to finish it. And best part, once you slide these bad boys out of their tin foil pockets, dishes are done!
The world may be falling apart, but at least we have carbs. Enjoy!