Vitamin-rich potatoes pack a punch in this comforting French dish, perfect as a main course, or to serve with a roast
Ingredients
Before you start...
This recipe serves four as a main dish. Reduce the quantities by half to make it as a side dish.
- 125 g4½ oz Maribel or Desiree potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 125 g4½ oz celeriac, thinly sliced
- 25 ml1 fl oz olive oil
- 50 g1¾ oz smoked bacon, chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 thyme sprigs, stalks removed and chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sage sprig
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp coriander leaves, chopped
- ½ clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
- 200 g7 oz boneless loin, neck of lamb or lamb chops (optional)
- 125 g4½ oz onions, peeled and roughly chopped
- 125 g4½ oz savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- A handful of strong cheese, grated
- 500 ml17½ fl oz hot chicken stock
Method: How to make Jean-Christophe Novelli's pommes boulangère
Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3.
Grease a deep flameproof/ovenproof dish.
Heat 20ml oil in a heavy-based frying pan and add the black pepper, thyme, bay leaves, sage, fennel seeds, cumin, coriander, garlic and sliced bacon.
Cook for 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan and put into a bowl.
In the same pan, sear the lamb on all sides then cover and cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan and add to the bacon mixture. Skip this step if making the dish without lamb.
Sweat the sliced onions for 2-3 minutes until softened then add the sliced cabbage. Cover and cook for 15 mins, stirring occasionally again, until softened.
Add the lamb, bacon, potatoes, celeriac and grated nutmeg to the onion and cabbage. Mix together well with the remaining olive oil and place in a deep flameproof dish.
Melt the cheese in the hot stock and add to the lamb, potato and bacon mixture, ensuring the liquid covers everything.
Simmer gently on a low heat for 5-10 mins then cover the dish with foil and cook in the oven for a further 30-40 mins. Remove foil 10 mins before the end.
Cook until golden brown and baked through (the potatoes should be soft) and serve hot.
