Creamy potato gratins are popular in Finland. They can be served to accompany many meat and fish dishes and varied using different seasonings  —  garlic, onion, cheese, smoked fish, smoked ham, Swedish anchovies, etc.

potatoes  —  preferably waxy
cream
butter
pepper
salt

1. garlic
2. onion or leek
3. Havarti-type cheese  —  eg Finnish Turunmaa
4. blue cheese  —  eg Finnish Aura

Peel the potatoes and cut them into about ½ centimetre thick slices. You can soak or rinse the potatoes with cold water to remove some of their starch, especially if the potatoes you are using are more starchy than waxy. Let the potatoes drain.

Butter a shallow oven casserole dish. Place alternate layers of potato slices, pepper and the seasoning of your choice in the dish, starting and ending with a potato layer. Regardless of the seasoning used, you may add a layer of grated cheese on top of the dish.

If you are using garlic, press it through a garlic press. If you are using onions or leeks, slice them thinly. If you like, the onions may be lightly sautéed in butter or light-tasting oil. If you are using Havarti-type cheese, grate it, if blue cheese, crumble it. Salt is not necessary to add if you are using cheese.

Pour enough cream in the dish to almost reach, but not cover, the top potato layer. The dish should come out moist, but not soggy.

Dot the surface with knobs of butter and bake the dish at 175 °C for about 40 minutes, or until a knife can be easily inserted through the potato layers and the surface is nicely browned. Depending on the potato variety used, the baking time may vary greatly. Add some more cream during baking, if it seems that the dish is starting to dry out.

Serve the potatoes to accompany various meat and fish dishes. Instead of one large dish, scalloped potatoes may also be baked in small individual ramekins.

Recipe source: family recipe.