Gochujang, sesame, beet & potato gratin (for a crowd)
a must-try recipe for my new favourite comfort food
After all that chat about homemade vegetable stock in my most recent newsletter (I do hope some of you try to join me on my homemade stock resolution), I feel it would be a miss if this week’s second bonus recipe didn’t also lean into using this kitchen staple ~ and I’ve chosen to share with you one of my favourite creations from the past 12 months.
But before we get to that, I thought it might also be useful to share some other cooks’ wisdoms on vegetable stock. Below are some links to recipes which rely heavily on a quality stock to form their base, as well as some other outside the box ways to use up stock veg (that isn’t the killer curry recipe I shared last week)
an Italian white bean stew that sings with a good stock
a thrifty leftover stock veg pie from the sustainably inventive Tom Hunt
this ginger broth sounds like my cup of tea
nothing beats a hearty vegetable soup to soothe the soul
how about homemade stock cubes using vegetable scraps
or perhaps a ‘veggie smoosh burger’ could be a go
Another thing I often forget, is how great stock is when used as a cooking liquid for grains. For special occasions, if you’re feeling extra fancy, try using vegetable stock in place of water (or half-and-half) when cooking rice, quinoa, couscous or any other dried grain that fully absorbs its cooking liquid. This adds another layer of flavour to the end product.
I must say, using homemade stock in my cooking the past couple of weeks has got me feeling quietly satisfied. It’s silly but certain how small things like this can improve how you feel about yourself and the world, at least for me. So, how is Eating Who I Want to Be going for each of you? Do you feel like the vision for your own eating goals is taking shape? Are you allowing time and space for you to enjoy your food, and enjoy it with others? What values are driving your eating?
I’d love to hear how your own journeys of Eating Who I Want to Be are unfolding - flick me a message or email if you’re feeling brave :) and DEFINITELY try the gratin recipe below, it’s a doozy.
Enjoy,
Alby xx
Gochujang, sesame, beet & potato gratin (for a crowd)
I think I’ve found my new favourite comfort food. Until last year, I’d always thought that the deliciousness of a gratin was largely dependant on the cream and cheese that saturated the carb-y potato-y goodness within. But after some disciplined recipe testing, I realised that a) it’s actually the starches of the potato that end up in the sauce that carry most of the comfort factor and b) the same comforting quality is easily found with a combination of simple plant-based ingredients. Coconut milk/cream for that essential creaminess; vegetable stock (go the homemade zero waste stock) for that deeply savoury flavour; tahini and sesame for nuttiness, subtle bitterness and creaminess; and to balance the sweetness of the beetroot of gone for a combo of soy sauce and gochujang that bring welcome umami and heat.
Gochujang, the Korean fermented red chilli paste, is worth having in the fridge (even just to make this gratin alone). For more ways to use its deliciousness, check out my previous newsletter where I talk about its epicness alongside plenty of recipe inspiration for how to use it.
Hands-on Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
serves 8-10
Cost Estimate: $16 ($2 per serve)
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp sesame seeds
8 cloves garlic, crushed
400ml can coconut cream
400ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp gochujang paste
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves, plus extra to serve
½ tsp sea salt
500g beetroot, peeled and cut into 2-3mm thick slices (with a mandoline)
1kg waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-3mm thick slices (with a mandoline)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional). Brush a large deep rectangular baking tin (33cm x 23cm) with olive oil.
For the gratin, place the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and 1 tbsp sesame seeds and fry for 2 minutes until turning golden. Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable stock. Increase to high, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Add the gochujang, soy sauce, tahini, coriander and salt, stirring until the gochujang has dissolved.
Arrange a slightly overlapping layer of sliced potatoes/beetroot in the bottom of the baking tin. Spoon over some of the warm gratin sauce to cover. Repeat, layering the sliced vegetables and sauce until they are all used up, finishing with a layer of sauce to bathe the vegetables fully. Ensure you have an even spread of beetroot amongst the potatoes. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for a further 35 minutes, until the top is golden, crisp and bubbling and the vegetables are cooked through.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Place the remaining 2 tbsp sesame seeds in a small frying pan over medium heat. Toast for a few minutes until golden. Scatter the toasted sesame seeds over the gratin, along with some extra chopped coriander. Serve warm.
Alby’s Advice:
I highly recommend investing in a mandolin slicer, awesome for making dishes like this gratin, slicing vegetables for salads or pickling etc.
If you can’t find gochujang at your local (most supermarkets these days have it, definitely Asian supermarkets), you could easily substitute for tomato paste and some ground chilli - the flavour profile will be very different but still very delicious.
Best of the season this fortnight (NZ):
Summer herbs (basil, coriander)
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Aubergines
Late capsicums
New season apples
Early figs
Early pears
Last of the summer stone fruit and berries
Brain Food:
the school lunch debate is reaching its peak, with the government confirming a cut to funding for Ka Ora, Ka Ako - a useful summary of what’s at stake
check out these NZ wāhine leading the future of food in Aotearoa
can’t go past a homegrown book that combines food & wellness in an accessible way
nutrition as prevention for cognitive decline
ideas on how New Zealand’s food systems could change to contribute towards the UN sustainable development goals
