Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Fondue Potatoes - easy genius!

How to make potatoes interesting.  This is constantly my dilemma as, in general, I'm not a big potato fan. I can however appreciate them as a gluten free carbohydrate that balances out the plate.  Besides, other people seem to really like them. 

I was shopping in Whole Foods and hoping to find potato inspiration with the beautiful heirloom varieties on display. In the middle of the potatoes, was a large pile of pre-wrapped chunks of Emmental cheese. If you know me, you know I went for the cheese.  If you know Emmental cheese, you know fondue was on my mind.



I was pretty sure I had a big jar of Cornichon pickles at home and my mind kept spinning with how to make it all come together.

A glass of wine and these beautiful red swirled beauties as inspiration and voila! Fondue potatoes.

Fondue Potatoes
Serves 4 as side dish


Ingredients:
10 Small potatoes, delicate small heirloom variety if possible
15 Cornichon pickles, thickly sliced
6 oz Fondue cheese (Gruyere, Emmental, Comte) grated
Juice from the cornichon
white pepper & salt

Method:
Preheat the broiler to 450F.
Steam the potatoes in a metal steamer over boiling water until just tender.  Time will vary depending on the potatoes you choose.  Use a tooth pick to test doneness starting at 7 minutes. 
Thickly slice or cut into large dice the potatoes and put into a broiler safe dish.
Lightly salt and pepper the potato slices.
Sprinkle 3 Tablespoons of the liquid from the cornichon jar onto the potato slices. Be sure to stir up the jar to capture the mustard seeds in the liquid.
Toss in the cornichon slices.
Cover with the grated cheese. 
Place the dish under the broiler for 5 minutes. Check ever minute until it reaches your desired melty, gooey, cheesy brown, goodness.
Enjoy!