Roasts: any tried & true recipes you'd suggest?

This is the dish under discussion.
The big one, on the right.
Same colour, too.

nice, no suggestions yet, but looking on with anticipation

Thanks, dj.

Me, too!

Gratin Dauphinois
(A classic potato recipe from the French Rhone Alps. It helps to do a little mountain climbing afterwards to burn off the calories)
Prep time / Cooking time 45 min / 1 hour
Ingredients:

* 2lb (1kg) potatoes (waxy potatoes such as pink fir apple, russet)
* 1 or 2 cloves garlic, mashed
* 2 oz butter
* 2 cups (50cl) whole milk
* 5 oz (160g) French or Swiss Gruyère cheese
* 1 pint double cream Salt and pepper

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 360ºF (180 ºC). Slice the potatoes into thin slices (1/8 inch thick). Rinse in cold water. Drain and dry in a towel
2. Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with milk. Add salt
3. Bring to the boil starting at moderate heat for 5 minutes then low heat for 10 minutes. Stir from time to time.
4. Rub a fireproof dish with garlic and grease it well with butter. Transfer half of the potatoes in the gratin dish. Add half the cheese, double cream and pepper to the layer. Put the second half of the potatoes and cover with the cheese and double cream left.
5. Put the dish in the oven and cook for 1 hour at 360ºF (180 ºC). Gratin Dauphinois is ready when the top is gold and brown.

Thanks, Green Witch.
I've never made Gratin Dauphinois before. Will do! Yum.

I've created a cut-n-paste document where I'll collect, then print, the recipes posted here.

I have the same one in blue, MsOlga.
Hm, my recipe isn't a roast per se - chop up celery sticks, put them in the dish with a bit of chicken broth, spread chicken legs with mustard and layer them above the celery and roast them at 350F until the chicken is done.

That sounds good, Jane. And dead easy! I do like that!
Will try it for sure.
Thank you!

I would have bought the (dark) blue one, too, (I have a big casserole in the same colour) but the red was the only colour at sale price. And at $80 less than the usual price, was I going to quibble about colour? Nah.

BTW, any recipe suggestions do not have to be "strictly" roasts. I'm interesting in any recipes that can be cooked in the dish.

You can prepare roasted meat quite easily, especially if you use aluminum foil to cover the dish; this speeds cooking and keeps the meat moist.

Place carrots, onions, green peppers at the bottom with a little liquid (stock or just plain water), place the meat on top. Season to taste (a bay leaf or two, Lea and Perrins, rosemary, ground pepper, and thyme---your choice) . Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven at around 350 f. You can bake potatoes separately at the same time.

Might be time for me to type Bocuse's recipe... for scalloped potatoes,

but not now, tomorrow. Nag me.

Funny - I only bought the blue one because it was on sale. I have a smaller one
in red, and would have liked a red one. Let's swap, MsOlga

Osso, look at the recipe I posted. I think it is very similar, if not the same.

Ah. Here's one I just found in a recipe book I bought at work yesterday: Gluten Free Bible. (I have a friend who suffers from a severe intolerance to wheat . Every Christmas I struggle to produce a new contribution to the annual get-together of a large group of us who worked together years ago. Something he can actually eat. This recipe might make a nice change from my perennial baked ricotta dish.
I'll try it out first & see.) :

Cauliflower, broccoli & potato bake:

* 300 g cauliflower
* 250 g broccoli or 200 g chopped cabbage
*4 - 5 small potatoes
*salt & freshly ground black pepper
*1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 clove garlic
*2 cups cheese sauce (I can provide the recipe if anyone wants it)
*1/4 - 1/3 grated parmesan or gluten-free bread crumbs, or 2 tablespoons polenta (optional)

Preheat oven to 200 C

- Cut cauliflower & broccoli into small florets.
-Slice potatoes & cook in a small pot of salted water to boil for around 8 minutes.
-Separately cook cauliflower, broccoli or cabbage in lightly salted water for about 5 minutes, till almost tender.
-Thickly butter a large oven dish & set aside.
-In a small pan, saute the onion & garlic in butter, till translucent.
-Line the oven dish with drained potatoes slices, cover with sauteed onion & season well.
-Top with the cauliflower & broccoli or cabbage.
-Spread cheese sauce over the vegetables & sprinkle with parmesan, crumbs or polenta.
- Bake for about 20 minutes till the top is golden-brow.

`

Thank you, jgweed.
That sounds good!
Just one question: Lea and Perrins. Is that similar to Worcestershire sauce? (I'm in Australia.) Though possibly Lea & Perrins is available here, too. Not sure.

Oh, always, osso!

Done deal, Jane!

Yes it is. If you don't like Worcestershire sauce, then don't use it.
You can also substitute a little tomato sauce if you prefer. Incidentally, the pan juices make an excellent gravy.

No, I'm perfectly OK with Worcestershire sauce, jgweed.
I just wasn't sure if that's what you were referring to.
Thanks for clearing that up.

Ok, I'll copy the Bocuse recipe. I would't go on about it but that both of us liked it;

The book is now like this primo thing, too bad I'm not a selling maven.

the book - PAUL BOCUSE
IN YOUR KITCHEN
an introduction to classic french cooking


Potatoes au gratin de pommes de terre au lait

preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients for 4 servings

2 1/4 pounds potatoes (1 kg)
2 1/2 cups (60 cl) milk
nutmeg
salt, pepper
1 clove garlic, peeled and split lengthwise
1 2/3 cups (125 g) grated swiss cheese
3 tablespoons (5 cl) heavy cream
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter, broken into small pieces


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, 200 degrees C
Peel the potatoes and wash quickly in cold water, then wipe dry.
Cut them into slices about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick and reserve.
Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan, add the potatoes, a little nutmeg, and salt and pepper generously. Shake the pan gently to make the potatoes settle into the milk (they should be barely covered by the milk; if not, add a little warm water). Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, over very low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.

Rub a baking dish (preferable porcelain or earthenware) with the garlic.
When the potatoes are done, lift some out of the milk with a slotted spoon and place them on the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with a little grated cheese, add another layer of potatoes, sprinkle with cheese and continuing filling the dish, layer hy layer, ending with cheese.

Measure the milk remaining from cooking the potatoes; there should be about 2/3 cup (15 cl) left. If there is more than that, boil it to reduce to this amount, then pour it over the potatoes. Spoon in the cream, dot the surface with butter, then place the dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the surface is golden brown.


As you might imagine, this is all too berserk for me, though I did try it once. I'll agree re the process, though. (My slices were thinner, and so what?)