Emma Freud’s Almost Famous Truffled Baron Dauphinoise Potatoes

 
The fearlessly talented Emma Freud OBE, has provided us with a home made recipe which is sure to get your mouth watering. Combining the indulgence of our Truffled Baron Bigod with creamy potatoes to make a wholesome family favourite which is sure to be a hit around the dinner table.With many strings to her bow, Emma is best known as a TV presenter, journalist and script editor as well as her longstanding work with comic relief. In 2011 was awarded an OBE for her services to the charitable sector.Since 2015 Emma has been a monthly columnist for BBC Good Food, writing about international food culture and interviewing chefs while she cooks one of their signature dishes. We are honored to see Baron Bigod being used by Emma in such an intimate setting.

Recipe

• 75g butter
• 2 onions, thinly sliced on the mandolin.
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 bay leaves
• Big Handful of chopped tarragon and/or thyme leaves
• 300ml double cream
• 300ml whole milk
• 1kg potatoes, thinly sliced on a mandolin (no need to peel them first)
• 1 small Baron Bigod Truffle Brie (or regular Baron Bigod Brie).

Turn the oven onto 180 degrees.

In a big wide saucepan (I use a large saute pan), melt your butter and add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, herbs and lots of freshly ground black pepper.  Cook them gently on a low heat while stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes – don’t let them go brown.

2.  Add the milk and cream and bring to a simmer at which point, add your sliced potatoes.  Let them simmer gently (not boil) for about 8-10 minutes, occasionally gently stirring so the potatoes don’t stick together.  They will be partly cooked by this point.

3.  Tip the whole lot into an ovenproof dish – I use a 2 litre dish for this.  And then using a wooden spoon, carefully create a circle in the middle of the dish in which to put your Truffled Baron Bigod Brie.  The potatoes should yield to the side nicely when you ask them, but there will still be a puddle of cream in the middle – that’s fine.

4.  Take your brie out of the box, peel the paper off, and cut a shallow cross into the top with your knife – just cutting through the soft rind, not all the way through the cheese.  Then lower it gently into the gap in the middle of the Dauphinoise.  Gently move the potatoes around so they are level, and so that everything is sitting comfortably, only just covered by the cream.  Cover the top with tin foil.

5.  Bake in the oven for around 40-45 minutes, then take the tin foil off and give it 10-15 minutes more so the top goes golden (you might want to turn the oven up to 200 for this last 10 minutes).

6.  Let the Dauphinoise settle for about 15 minutes.  Then serve by scooping your serving spoon gently into the middle of the brie so the molten cheese floods into the perfectly cooked potatoes.