Left over potato gratin

Perfect for using left over boiled or roast pots together with any other scraps from your fridge.

Start by slicing some onions and a few cloves of garlic. Use a ratio of roughly 1 to 4 onions to potatoes and as much garlic as you like. Fry these gently in a pan that will be large enough to hold the potatoes as well using a knob of butter and good glug of olive oil for about 10 mins, stirring occasionally. They want to be a nice golden colour, shrivelled and sweet.

Slice your potatoes into the pot and add plenty of salt and pepper. At this stage you can add any thing else you want eg cheese, ham, tomato, any leftovers and other things that need using up from your fridge.

Add milk and cream, adjusting the ratios depending on how rich you want the final dish. I use half and half. The liquid needs to cover the potatoes by a centimetre or so.

Taste the liquid and adjust the seasoning. Bake the mixture in any oven proof dish you want at about 180c until the top is bubbling and golden, about 30 minutes.

NB you can use raw potatoes as well but the dish will take longer to cook through. The thinner you slice them the quicker they will cook.

My favourite leftover gratins –

• Truffled mushroom.
Use a generous glug of good quality truffle oil (elle esse tartufo bianco is reasonably priced and well flavoured). Fry your mushrooms before adding and top with some sliced Swiss cheese or similar.

• Tartiflette
An alpine classic. Fry some bacon before adding along with a good grating of reblochon cheese or any other cheese nubbins you have hanging around.

• Leftover vegetable gratin
Use any vegetables you have leftover or that need using up.