Gratin of potato, leek & silverbeet

SERVES 4- 6

Mum describes this gratin like so: “It’s almost the quickest and easiest tasty meal you can serve to the family, particularly if you have an abundance of silverbeet in the garden, and it’s rich enough that you’ll not miss the meat.” I describe it as simply sensational!

400g silverbeet

1 small leek

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp olive oil

40g butter

1kg potatoes, peeled

400g cream

40g fresh breadcrumbs

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 Heat oven to 180oC and butter an ovenproof dish.

2 Remove stalks from the silverbeet and finely slice them. Shred the silverbeet leaves. Slice the leek and garlic.

3 Heat the oil and 10g of the butter in a large fry-pan. Sauté the stalks, leek and garlic for 3- 4 minutes until they are tender. Add in the shredded silverbeet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and season to taste.

4 Slice the potatoes with a mandoline if you have one – otherwise slice very thinly. Arrange over the silverbeet, overlapping in layers, and season again. Pour enough cream over to just cover, dot with 10g of the butter, and bake for about 45 minutes or until bubbling and golden around the edges.

5 Melt the remaining butter, combine it with the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and thyme leaves, and scatter over the gratin. Continue baking until the potatoes are tender and the crumb is golden brown –about 10-15 minutes.

6 Serve with a green salad.