Scalloped Potatoes and Sausage (Cream)

Sausage potatoes au gratin is another way we celebrate the cold weather season and Holiday feasting. Every year, two big batches of our famous potatoes au gratin makes it way to our Holiday table. It's one of those dishes that the whole family is hopelessly in love with. All these eaters ask about the potatoes au gratin first, before anyone ever asks about the turkey or desserts.

1½ lbs sausage, casings removed (680 g)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 lbs Yukon gold potatoes (1.8 kg)
1 Tbsp. sea salt
2 tsp. black pepper, coarsely ground
¾ tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
3½ cups heavy cream (840 mL)

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Set aside a 9.5x11" baking dish.

Heat a large skillet over medium high and then add the olive oil. Stir in the sausage and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until browned.

Peel and slice the potatoes about 1/8" thick. Put the sliced potatoes into a large bowl.

Season the potatoes with sea salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Toss the slices to coat evenly. Slap a potato slice against your tongue to test for seasoning. It should be noticeably seasoned but not overpoweringly so.

Layer the potatoes and sausage into the baking dish, pressing down on the top so everything is fairly level. Pour the cream over potatoes just to the point where you can press down on the top layer and the top potato slices disappear under the cream. Give a couple presses down on the potatoes and then taste cream for seasoning. You should just marginally taste the salt. Add a sprinkle more if needed.

Put in the oven and bake for a total of about 1½ hours (larger batches will take longer). Every 20 minutes or so, open the oven and with the back of a large spoon, break the crust the cream is starting to form and turn over any of the top sausage pieces that may be beginning to brown. (On the final "crust breaking" the consistency of the cream should noticeably thicker and have absorbed into the potatoes a decent amount).

For the final 20-30 minutes, leave everything untouched to form a golden top. Cream should be nearly all broke down and absorbed with just a bit of creamy, buttery-ness between the potato slices.

Remove from oven allow to cool a bit before serving. It will retain an intense heat for at least 10-15 minutes.

Cook's Notes: If you are doing a large batch, put the peeled potatoes in a bowl of water to keep them from browning.

Nutritional Facts:
Calories: 540kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 136mg, Sodium: 978mg, Potassium: 834mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1068IU, Vitamin C: 31mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 2mg