Wild Mushroom, Potato, and Gorgonzola Gratin
2 pounds potatoes, sliced
1 small red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped wild mushrooms (oysters, shiitake, chanterelle)
6 Tbs butter
jigger of sherry, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste
1 large apple, cored and diced
1/3 cup diced figs
1/4 # Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/4 # Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/3 C heavy cream
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sauté onions & garlic in 2 Tbs of butter; after 2 minutes add mushrooms, apple, salt, pepper, sherry, and nutmeg and continue cooking until mushrooms have released their liquid (~5min). Stir in figs and set aside. Begin heating the cream in a small saucepan.
Mix the cheeses in a bowl and grease a 9x13 baking pan. Spread half of the sliced potatoes over the bottom of the pan, dot with 2 Tbs butter, and add all the mushroom mixture and half of the cheese mixture. Layer the remaining potatoes over the mushroom mixture, pat with the last 2 Tbs of butter, and the remaining cheese, and pour the very hot cream over the whole thing.
Make sure the cream runs underneath the potatoes. Bake until the milk is absorbed, the potatoes are tender, and the top lightly browned, about 1
1/2 hour if the top is getting brown too quickly, cover with foil; if not brown enough, raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees for the last 15-20 minutes.
Serves 4-6 as entree or side dish.