gratin

on monday i used a super complicated and long-winded recipe to make a gratin, which is normally just a carb-based, cheese-topped dish of some kind.

THIS gratin involved four separate layer components PLUS a lentil dish that acts as a sauce/topper. it was delicious, and i would make it again, but only when in the mood to wash every dish i own.

the layers are:
-par-boiled sliced and peeled potatoes, tossed in olive oil, seasoned.
-ricotta and spinach mixture
-tomato sauce (from scratch) with red onions, red wine, garlic, coriander, cumin
-roasted eggplant (the recipe said aubergine, which you have to say really loud and with an english accent, and that (apparently) gets obnoxious, so i just say eggplant)
-plus mozzerella shredded on top

the lentil side was a thyme/fennel/orange zest/buttery thing, and i would eat it alone on rice it was so good.



okay that's my fancy million-ingredient recipe for the year, i got it out of the way on purpose. for cooking actual food (not baked goods) i very rarely use a recipe; i'm more of a construct-in-one-pot type of person.