Sweet potato, garlic and rosemary gratin

Sweet potato, garlic and rosemary gratin

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 150ml olive oil
• 1 large sweet potato
• 3 large white or red potatoes
• 3 tbsp of rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp of thyme leaves, finely chopped

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
  
• Blend the garlic, salt, pepper, and oil together in a blender (or use a hand blender). Place the resulting mixture in a large container.
  
• Finely slice the sweet potato and the ordinary potatoes, and put the slices into the container.
  
• Add the chopped rosemary and thyme and allow the potatoes to infuse with the oil and garlic mix for 10 minutes.
• Line a 2cm deep baking tray, approximately 25cm by 15cm, with baking paper. Put the potato mix in the tray, pressing it down into the corners to make sure there is an even amount across the tray. Cover the surface with another piece of baking paper and cook in the oven for 35 minutes.
  
• Take it out of the oven. Get another tray the same size and press down on top of the gratin to squeeze out the excess juices; tip the trays to allow them to drain.
  
• Then put the gratin back in the oven for another 20 minutes or so, until golden in colour. Check the middle with a knife to see if it is cooked.
• Turn the gratin upside-down over a chopping board and lift the tray off. Then carefully remove the paper and trim the edges.
• For a simple meal, accompany this with a handful of dressed rocket leaves.
  
• If you are trying to impress, then serve the gratin on a bed of roasted Mediterranean vegetables, but still accompanied by a rocket salad and the red pepper sauce. Just take a courgette, an aubergine and a couple of peppers, chop them into big chunks, toss in olive oil, or an oil flavoured with herbs or garlic and salt and pepper and roast in a 200°C/gas mark 6 oven for 15 minutes.

Food For Friends

Recipe taken from Food For Friends: Modern Vegetarian Cooking At Home, by Jane and Ramin Mostowfi with Kalil Resende. Photographs by Adrian Peacock. Published by Infinite Ideas (www.infideas.com) at RRP £16.99. Buy this book as an ebook at a discount from Saga Books.