Potatoes "au Gratin" With Onions

When I first got back from my vacation I was jet-lagged, very relaxed, my mind was still on a beach in Greece and mentally I was nowhere near thinking of how to satisfy my hunger and ultimately, share my food with you.

Fast forward to a month from returning from Europe and I now have a backlog of food to present and I’m also indebted to some hosts who showed me an entertaining Sunday afternoon in Toronto.

It may sound like an oxymoron but yes…some fun can be had in stodgy, Toronto the Good.

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to attend “A Greek Odyssey” at Toronto’s Cheese Boutique by by new friend, Steve Kriaris of The Kolonaki Group.

Steve (Kolonaki Group) brings some of Greece’s best boutique wines to satisfy Canada’s growing demand for wine and in particular, wine from Greece.

Upon entering the Cheese Boutique, I was greeted with the sounds of Greek music, witnessing a lamb being roasted on the spit and the whiff of cheese emanating from the store itself.

The Cheese Boutique is located in Toronto’s west end, just minutes from the Bloor West Village and it boasts of having the best of cheeses, deli meats, olives, bread, dried and fresh pasta, coffee, teas, fresh produce, meat and many spices and marinades to heighten taste.

Walking out of the Cheese Boutique is a hard thing to do without leaving empty handed. What caught my eye (although I’ve seen it before) is a Mimolette. It’s a spherical cheese that looks like a cantaloupe on the outside and on the inside, it’s a bright orange, aged cheddar that achieves it’s bright orange colour naturally. SOLD!

As my ode to the Cheese Boutique, I used the Mimolette to make my Potatoes “au Gratin” With Onions or if you like…a fancy scalloped potatoes.

Potatoes “au gratin” with Onions

4 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes, washed, scrubbed and thinly sliced (I used a mandoline)
1 medium-sized red onion, thinly sliced (mandoline)
3 Tbsp of fresh thyme
2 Tbsp of fresh chopped parsley
4 Tbsp. of unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 cloves of garlic, roughly minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup of grated Mimolette
1/2 cup of grated Graviera (a Greek white cheddar)
pinch of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
bread crumbs

1. Preheat your oven to 375F. Slice your potatoes and onion using a mandoline and toss in a bowl with the thyme and parsley. Reserve.
2. Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt your butter under medium-high heat; then add the flour and with a wooden spoon, stir constantly for a few minutes to cook off the flour.
3. Take the saucepan off the heat and add your milk, garlic, bay leaf and stir constantly under medium-high heat until your white sauce (bechamel) has thickened. Turn your heat down to low and while stirring, add your cheese in batches to melt into the sauce. Add the nutmeg and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Reserve with the lid on.
4. Grease a casserole dish. Now spoon some cheese sauce on the bottom then start layering your potatoes in an overlapping fashion until the layer has been covered. Spread some sliced onions over the potatoes. Repeat the process until the potatoes, onions and cheese sauce are done (you should finish with a final layer of cheese sauce).
5. Sprinkle the top with some bread crumbs and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let you casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.