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12/25/2019 11:01 PMWhen our little ones were young, we spent Christmas with my husband’s sister in East Bloomfield, New York. We arrived on Christmas Eve, early enough to get to my in-laws’ church in Rochester. There my husband turned the pages of music as my father-in-law played the lovely old pipe organ. After that, we all drove to Roslyn’s house. Our children, our parents, and we slept everywhere—kids in sleeping bags in the living room and family room, our parents in the bedrooms upstairs. Doug and I slept on a sofa-bed, two rooms away from the living room.
I’m not sure how Ros made this happen, but no presents were open until we had a full breakfast, waffles or pancakes or French toast, bacon and sausage, and, for us, gallons of coffee. Then the fun began. Wrapping paper and bows filled the living room. The kids squealed. We adults opened our gifts one at a time, exclaiming how thrilled we were with every present.
We showed each of our treasures to the others. And every year we gave Roslyn a special one—always a gag gift, often naughty. She was supposed to show them to our parents. Sometimes she didn’t.
Dinner, around 4 p.m., was easy. Often it was prime rib, with a side of Yorkshire pudding, which, of course, is not a pudding at all. Sometimes it was a ham, instead. If it was, there would be scalloped potatoes, which everyone loved.
This year I made a big ham for my neighbors, their son, and his teenage daughter. My favorite is Honey Baked Ham. It may not be local and it may be overly sweet, but I love that ham.
There were sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese (for my neighbors’ granddaughter), lots of vegetables, and for dessert something special—crème brulee and chocolate pots de crème.
With the leftovers, I’m making a very French scalloped potatoes with slivered leftover ham nestled inside. I love this recipe.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Gratin Dauphinois
From A Passion for Potatoes
by Lydie Marshall (Harper Perennial, New York, 1992)
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and
sliced 1/8- to 1/16-inch thick
1 ½ teaspoons salt*
1 ⅓ cups half-and-half cream
1 tablespoons cold butter
½ cup heavy cream
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 2-quart rectangular, 14 by 8 by 2 inches, or oval dish about the same size.
Scatter the minced garlic in the dish.
Overlap three layers of potatoes in the pan, sprinkling salt between each layer. If you have ham, add it in between each layer, and omit the salt. Dribble in the half-and-half, barely covering them. Dot the top with butter.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes. Pour the heavy cream on top of the potatoes and tilt the pan to baste the top layer. Bake for 45 minutes more, or until golden brown.
If you added ham to the gratin, and left out the salt, serve with a nice finishing salt at the table.