Steak Club Lee Bros. Edition

On Saturday night we went over to a friend's house for Steak Club and now I'm pretty much obsessed with the Lee Brothers.  Our hosts served a side and a dessert from their cookbook, and they both were pretty much perfect.  For drinks the girls enjoyed lots of wine, and the boys enjoyed too much bourbon.  (I think it's fair to call our hosts bourbon connoisseurs.  They have just about every bourbon you can imagine to choose from.  This makes J.D. very happy since at home he has to enjoy the cheap stuff!) 

For the main course we each enjoyed our steaks off the grill, a simple fall tossed salad and the real showstopper, a Pimento Cheese Potato Gratin.  It was as delicious as it sounds.  I think we all scrapped the dish clean.  This dish is from the Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern Cookbook, and it's also floating around the internet a few places including Saveur.  (Bonus, this can be made in advance!)

Lee Bros. Pimento Cheese Potato Gratin via Saveur

3 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 1⁄2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1⁄4-inch thick rounds
3⁄4 cup heavy cream
3 shallots, finely diced (scant 1⁄2 cup)
1⁄4 teaspoon crushed dried red chile flakes
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 9-ounce jar roasted red peppers or piquillo peppers, with their liquid
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)

Heat the oven to 375°F, racks positioned in the middle and the top third of the oven. In a 3- to 4-quart stockpot, bring 2 quarts water and 2 teaspoons of the salt to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set them aside.

Combine the cream, shallots, chile flakes, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the jar of roasted peppers in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chile flakes have begun to stain the cream, about 2 minutes. Add half of the cheese and stir until it melts, about 1 minute. Remove pan from the heat.

Layer a third of the potatoes in a 6-cup baking dish, overlapping them slightly so that they fit in an even layer. Scatter half of the roasted peppers on top of the potatoes (cut up any peppers that have remained whole so that they lie flat), and repeat layering potatoes and peppers until all the peppers and potatoes have been used. Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes and peppers, and agitate the dish to distribute the liquid throughout. Cover with aluminum foil and bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes.

Uncover the dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, and place the dish on the top oven rack. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and gently browned on top. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

For dessert we had little buttermilk cakes topped with bourbon soaked peaches.  So so good, and thinking about all this makes me hungry.  I highly recommend giving the potato gratin a try.  (Wouldn't it be good with an Easter ham?  Something different from traditional mac & cheese.)  Our host couldn't say enough good things about the Lee Bros. cookbook in general.  I love their fresh take on old school southern cuisine.  Has anyone else tried a good recipe by the Lee Brothers?  Hope you enjoy this one!

~Mary Keller

All images from the host, thanks Meredith!