Recipe: Sweet and Savory Potatoes with Emmental

Name: Sweet and Savory Potatoes with Emmental
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 7 oz (200 g) grated French Emmental; 28 oz (800 g) potatoes (ratte variety); 14 oz (400 g) ground beef; 2 tablespoons peanut oil; 1 knob of butter; 2 eggplants; 1 onion; 3.5 oz (100 g) currants; salt and pepper

By chef patrick Asfaux 5/5 (1 review)

Recipe Sweet and Savory Potatoes with Emmental - Chef Patrick Asfaux — Photo: Aftouch-cuisine

Prep 45 min

Cook 30 min

Total 1h15

Servings 6 serv.

The parmentier is the reinvention of leftover meat by poor cooks in the 19th century. Here we play the sweet and savory card with currants, and grated Emmental brings it all together in a golden gratin. Forty-five minutes of prep, thirty minutes of cooking.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

7 oz (200 g) grated French Emmental
28 oz (800 g) potatoes (ratte variety)
14 oz (400 g) ground beef
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 knob of butter
2 eggplants
1 onion
3.5 oz (100 g) currants
salt and pepper

Step-by-step directions

1 Cook the potatoes in salted water for 30 minutes, then drain and peel them.

2 Peel the onion and chop it finely. Pan-fry it in the oil with a knob of butter for 2 minutes. When the onion starts to brown, add the ground beef and currants, season with salt and pepper. Stop cooking once the meat is done.

3 Cut the eggplants into slices, then pan-fry them on each side in a separate pan.

4 Mash the potatoes with a fork, then add the grated Emmental so it binds with the purée.

5 Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 410°F (210°C) (gas mark 7).

6 In a gratin dish, spread half of the potato and Emmental purée on the bottom, then add the ground beef and currant mixture, the pan-fried eggplant slices, and finally the rest of the potato purée.

7 Bake the dish for 20 to 25 minutes.

8 Serve with a salad on the side.

9 My personal touch: while the parmentier cooks, spread a handful of grated Emmental on parchment paper, place it on a rack in the upper part of the oven, and let it brown for 8 to 10 minutes. Let it cool and peel off the Emmental crisps, shaping them as you like. Present them as a refined garnish on top of each serving. Enjoy!

A chef's advice

Grated Emmental binds best to the purée while it's still warm: mix it in right after mashing the potatoes with a fork, before it cools down. If it's too hot, the cheese becomes stringy; too cold, it won't melt. Aim for 65 to 70°C, the perfect moment when the purée welcomes the cheese without resistance.