CRAB GRATIN WITH POTATOES, LEEKS, AND SPINACH

Crab Gratin with Potatoes, Leeks, and Spinach image

Categories Bread Sauce Potato Bake Crab Leek Spinach Kosher

Yield serves 8 as a main course

Number Of Ingredients 24

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
3 small leeks (white part only), sliced crosswise and rinsed
8 ounces fresh or frozen crabmeat, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon white Worcestershire sauce
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
Mornay Sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
3/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
2 pounds unpeeled red or Yukon Gold potatoes, very thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

Steps:

Prepare a medium heat fire (375°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker.
Heat half of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat and sauté the leeks until wilted, about 7 minutes. Blend together with the crabmeat, mustard, chili powder, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl and set aside. Heat the remaining olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the spinach until most of the moisture has evaporated. Stir in the tarragon, salt, and white pepper. Remove from the heat, stir in the crab mixture, and set aside.
To make the Mornay sauce, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. When it has stopped foaming, stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk, nutmeg, zest, salt, and pepper. Add the Gruyère and sherry. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Remove from the heat and set over a pot of simmering water.
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup of the Gruyère. Coat an 8-cup clay casserole or gratin dish with olive oil. Dust the bottom of the dish with the bread-crumb mixture. Line the dish with one-third of the potatoes, overlapping the slices lengthwise.
Blend one-third of the Mornay sauce into crab mixture. Lightly salt and pepper the potatoes in the gratin dish and cover with half of the crab mixture. Add another one-third of the potatoes, then cover with the remaining crab mixture. Layer with the remaining potatoes and then the remaining Mornay sauce. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Top with 1/4 cup Gruyère and bake for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is browned. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.