Oven Baked Creamy Wild Garlic & Cheese Potatoes

Here is a twist on the classic potato gratin dish, using Wild Garlic. This is so easy to cook and super delicious!

Use a good floury potato like a rooster, because they'll be perfect for soaking up the creamy sauce. Roosters are a great all round potato being good for roasting, mashing, baking or making chips. I used a mix of white Cheddar and Parmesan Cheese because I like it. You can use any cheddar cheese or mix of cheeses that you like.

The taste of chopped wild garlic is much more subtle and sweeter compared to cloves of garlic and the flowers can also be chopped up and eaten too! When you pick the wild garlic, cut or break it off low on the stem of the leaf and the flower. Don't pull the complete plant out of the ground by the roots or it will not grow back next year!


My Ingredients:

1.5kg (3 1/2 lbs) Potatoes
500ml (1 pint) Whipping Cream
100g (4oz) Cheddar Cheese, grated
50g (2oz) Parmesan Cheese, grated
About 10 Wild Garlic leaves, chopped fine
Freshly ground Black Pepper


My Method:

1. Peel and slice thinly all the potatoes using a sharp knife or a mandolin. Place them in a large bowl.

2. Add all the grated parmesan cheese, most of the cheddar cheese, the cream and the wild garlic. Add 8-10 twists of freshly ground pepper.

3. Mix everything together well with a large spoon and then pour it into a 2" deep baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar cheese over the top and flatten everything down gently.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top of the dish

Another twist of black pepper can be added on top if you wish.

4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 175°C, 350°F, Gas 4 for approximately 1 hour. After 30 minutes, take the dish out and gently press the potatoes down again to let the cream come up over the top of the mix. Pop it back in the oven to finish the cooking time.

The top of the potato dish will be lightly crispy and golden/brown and it is ready to eat straight away. If you want to, you can make this the day before a special dinner, let it cool completely when cooked and cut it into squares. When you're ready eat, it heats up in a hot oven or in a microwave quite quickly. Serve as a garnish, snack or a side dish.

A tasty and simple potato recipe for a side dish or a late night snack!

You can also prepare this in separate individual dishes if you wish so that each guest gets their own.

There you go, simple and very tasty - Oven Baked Creamy Wild Garlic & Cheese Potatoes. Yum!

Zack