Scallop Potatoes - The easy way

Now scallop potatoes are one of Winters comfort foods. Warm, filling, cheesy and very delectable, but it can take a long time to cook if done by the traditional method with lots of layers of thinly sliced potato.

I can't be bothered waiting for up to an hour for my scallop potatoes to cook, so I do an easy version.

I first saw Nigella cook scallop potatoes in a similar way, many years ago and have tinkered with her idea until I have made it an easy version of the traditional scallop potatoes.

Now it only requires some peeling and slicing of potatoes, grating of cheese and garlic and grinding of salt & pepper. What could be more easier. Instead of 1 hour in the oven if you assemble and cook the scallop potatoes when the potato is hot it only takes 15 - 20 minutes in the oven, basically long enough to brown the top and make the potatoes bubble.

Scallop Potatoes

Enough potatoes when sliced in 1 - 1 1/2 cm slices and layered to fill you baking dish, now the potatoes are boiled in milk first - you can use a combination of half milk & half water or all milk or half milk & half homemade chicken stock the choice is yours. grated tasty cheese, for 4 layers of potatoes 3 -4 garlic cloves, salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 220c.

Peel and slice the potatoes place into a large saucepan, pour over enough liquid to cover the potatoes by at least 2 cms. Bring to the boil, simmer uncovered until the potatoes are just tender when tested with a knife point. Keep an eye of the potatoes as the milk has a tendency of evaporating quicker than water.

When cooked remove entire saucepan from the heat - DO NOT DRAIN - you need the liquid for the scallop potatoes.

Using a slotted spoon layer some potatoes in the base of you dish season with salt & pepper, grate some garlic over and sprinkle with grated cheese. Continue layering until all the potatoes are used, don't put garlic on the top layer.

Pour enough of the cooking liquid carefully over the potatoes to fill 3/4 of the baking dish. Cover generously with cheese. Place dish on a baking tray as sometimes it can bubble over. Bake in the oven until most of the liquid has evaporated and the cheese on top is brown and bubbly.

Remove from the oven serve and enjoy.

So next time you are trying to think of something warm and comforting think scallop potatoes. They only need a bit of looking after, then they are in the oven warming and crisping, getting ready for you to eat.