Solar Sicilian Potato Gratin

I made this potato dish once before during the first weeks of my blog. I remember liking it, but for some reason haven't made it again until now. It's a good alternative to the traditional, heavy on cream and cheese, potato gratin; and it gives me an excuse to use my mandolin slicer.

The onions do need to be browned on the stove before assembling the gratin, but that can easily be done while you're slicing the potatoes.


Sicilian Potato Gratin

1 garlic clove, halved
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped onions
Kosher salt
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
6 Tbs grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
3 Tbs drained capers
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Set Sun Oven up to preheat. Rub 11x7 - inch glass baking dish with cut side of garlic clove. Brush dish with olive oil. Heat 1 Tbs oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until soft and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
Arrange 1/4 of the potatoes in even layer in prepared dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter 1/3 of the onions over. Sprinkle with 1 Tbs Pecorino Romano and 1/4 of the capers. Repeat for two more layers drizzling 1/2 Tbs olive oil on third layer.
Arrange remaining potato slices over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and remaining capers. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 Tbs olive oil. Pour chicken broth over. Press down on potatoes to compact gratin.
Cover gratin tightly with foil, cover with a dark tea cloth, place in Sun Oven, and bake until potatoes are tender, 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 3 Tbs Pecorino Romano. Bake gratin uncovered until cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let gratin stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Solar Vegetable Stack

It could no longer be avoided. Today I had to clean the house. Even the "but I have to make something for my blog" excuse wasn't good enough. Still, I had to throw something in the Sun Oven, so I started by cleaning out the fridge. I found a sweet potato, a rutabaga, some small purple potatoes and a spaghetti squash. I cut up the first three items, tossed them with olive oil and spread them out on two baking trays. I cut the spaghetti squash in four pieces and put it in a roasting pan with  half a cup of water. With a little creative stacking I managed to fit everything into the Sun Oven. This stack method of solar cooking does increase the overall cooking time. I wish I could tell you by how much, but I was too busy with housework to pay attention to the exact timing. I think it went into the Sun Oven at 10 a.m. and was ready at 1 p.m., but that's just a guess.

Solar Sicilian Style Potato Gratin and question about cookware

I got a tri-tip roast on sale the other day and since then had been scouring the internet for a recipe that would work in the Sun Oven. As the expiration date grew closer I abandoned the search and fired up the grill. After all, even Paul Munsen of Sun Ovens International will admit that you'd be disappointed by a steak cooked in a Sun Oven. Of course I'd need a side dish and what goes better with meat than potatoes? I considered the obvious-baked potatoes-but wanted to make something a little more challenging. The next thing to come to mind was a potato gratin, but  after weighing myself this morning the cream, butter and cheese that normally go into that dish were out of the question. Back to the internet where I found this low fat Sicilian Style Potato Gratin recipe. All I did to modify it for solar cooking was reduce the broth to one cup and cover the tin foil sealed baking dish with parchment paper. The cooking time was the same as the original recipe and it came out nicely browned on top.
 A quick note on cookware, specifically about color, since I got a question about it from a reader. Most solar cookers only work with black lightweight pots. I have found that this is not so with a Sun Oven. I use red, green, and black enamel ware pots and don't notice any difference in cooking times. I also use cast iron which increases the cooking time but has the advantage of keeping the food warm even after the sun goes down. Glass and ceramic baking dishes also give excellent results. Even a shiny pan can work if you cover it with a dish towel or parchment paper.