Sunchoke, Idaho® Potato and Raclette Gratin

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sunchokes (also known as Jerusalem artichokes)
• 1/4 yellow onion, small dice
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more as needed for the baking dish
• 1 2/3 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk, plus more as needed to cover sunchokes and for the baking dish
• 2 sprigs thyme, plus leaves for garnish
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 2 lemons
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 large Idaho® Yukon Gold potato, unpeeled
• 3-4 slices raclette cheese (2-3 ounces)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Scrub the sunchokes with a clean pot scrubber or brush under cool water to remove any excess dirt. Small dice the sunchokes and onion to the same size.
3. In a medium pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the sunchokes and onions; sweat until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the heavy cream and milk to the pot. If the sunchokes aren’t completely covered by the liquid, add more milk until completely submerged. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium and cook until sunchokes are tender, about 15 minutes. (Do not let the mixture boil, or you will lose the majority of the liquid.)
5. Remove the thyme, then blend the mixture in a blender until it has a smooth consistency. Transfer the purée to a bowl and add a pinch of nutmeg, the zest of 2 lemons, the juice of 1 of the lemons and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
   Slice the potato into 1/8-inch-thick slices using a mandoline.
6. Butter a 6-inch round ovenproof baking dish and add a splash of milk to the bottom.
7. Put a layer of overlapping potatoes on the bottom of the dish, then spread 1/4 cup of the purée on top of the potatoes.
8. Add another layer of potatoes and purée; repeat until you have 6 total layers (a “layer” equals both the potato and the purée), finishing with purée on top.
9. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until potatoes are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
10. Remove from oven, remove foil and add slices of raclette cheese to completely cover top of gratin, overlapping if needed.
11. Turn oven to broil setting and broil until cheese is brown, about 3 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and top with a pinch of salt and pepper and fresh thyme leaves.