Last night I prepared a new creation, an adaptation of a gratin. Homemade gnocchi and blanched broccoli topped with a mixture of caramelized onion, sautéed bacon (1 strip total) and béchamel popped into the oven to make a beautiful golden topping. The recipe did take over an hour to prepare (thanks to being true to caramelized onion creations) but it was worth it. If you’re an experienced cook, caramelized onions aren’t at all scary and really don’t take a lot of attention as long as you’re not straying too far from the kitchen.
The final product was a great combination of soft potato dumplings, great for you broccoli with a creamy and crispy topping. I used a single strip of diced bacon (our unhealthful fat contribution) combined with olive oil to caramelize the onions. When the onions were complete (yes a whole hour later of low simmering to create the wonderfully complex flavor of the caramelized onion), the onions created the base for the béchamel sauce (which sounds so much better than a white sauce). I used skim milk for the sauce which means it stayed true to healthful cooking night. A light sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs completed the dish and would form the crispy crust. This would have been a great dish to make ahead and just pop in the oven before serving. And the added bonus is that it's another recipe for me to use up the 10 pound bag of potatoes I bought.
I’ll definitely take pictures next time. I’m definitely repeating the recipe more family and friends soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment