By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(141)
- Notes
- Read community notes
When a friend offered me sorrel from her garden I accepted gladly. I love the tangy flavor of this green leafy vegetable and will always buy it if I see it in my farmers’ market. You don’t need much to contribute lots of lemony flavor and vitamins C, A, iron, calcium and magnesium. The gratin is not a typical creamy sliced potato gratin; it’s more like a potato pie. I cook the potatoes first, then slice or dice and toss with the wilted sorrel, eggs, milk and cheese.
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves 6 to 8
- 2pounds small or medium-size Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
- Salt to taste
- 8ounces sorrel, stemmed and washed in 2 changes of water
- 1garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
- Olive oil or butter for the baking dish
- 4eggs
- 1½cups milk (2 percent)
- 3ounces Gruyère, grated (¾ cup)
- 1ounce Parmesan, grated (¼ cup)
- Freshly ground pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
258 calories; 12 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 535 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Preparation
Step
1
Place potatoes in a wide saucepan and cover with water. Add salt to taste and bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover partially and gently boil potatoes for 20 minutes, or until tender all the way through but firm enough to slice. Drain, return the potatoes to the pan, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove from the pot and using a towel to grip the potatoes if they are too hot to handle, slice about ½ inch thick, or if you prefer, cut in dice. Transfer to a large bowl.
Step
2
Meanwhile stem and wash sorrel leaves. Heat a wide skillet over high heat and add the sorrel, in batches if necessary. Stir until sorrel has wilted in the liquid left on the leaves after washing. The color will go from bright green to drab olive and the sorrel will melt down to what looks like a purée. Don’t worry, it will be chopped and mixed with the other ingredients and you won’t mind the color. When all of the sorrel has wilted, remove from heat and transfer to a strainer or a colander. Rinse briefly with cold water, then press or squeeze out excess liquid. Chop medium-fine. Transfer to bowl with the potatoes, toss together and season with salt and pepper.
Step
3
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub sides and bottom of a 2- to 2½-quart baking dish or gratin with the cut side of the garlic clove. Oil dish with olive oil. Mince remaining garlic and add to potatoes and sorrel.
Step
4
Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Add salt to taste (I use about ½ teaspoon). Whisk in milk. Add to potatoes and sorrel and stir well to distribute sorrel evenly throughout the mixture. Stir in cheeses and freshly ground pepper, and scrape into the baking dish.
Step
5
Bake 45 minutes, or until set and the top and sides are nicely browned. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes or longer before serving.
Tip
- Advance preparation: You can cook the potatoes and sorrel up to a day ahead. The gratin keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Reheat in a medium oven for about 20 minutes.
Ratings
4
out of 5
141
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Cooking Notes
C.E. Wall
Sorrel's hard to find (and grow) in the South. But a left-over winter mix of chard and baby arugula was really nice. Worth trying some spices (i.e. red pepper flakes, a little bit of cumin).
EHL
Very good. I used russet potatoes (personal preference) and increased the liquid by about ½ cup but should have added more liquid. Shallots and about half a clove of garlic and a little dry mustard boosted the flavor.
Patty
Love this recipe! I used fresh sorrel and eggs (from my backyard) and added fennel fronds and then parsley on top at the end (both are growing in my garden and I needed to use them). It was amazing! Also I used cheddar cheese instead of gruyere because that it what I on hand.
Nancy
I felt this recipe was time consuming and required a lot of pots and utilities. That being said, for a main course with a salad it merits the time. I followed the recipe closely, but I only boiled/simmered the potatoes for 10 minutes, not 20. Also, I am not sure this would have turned out right if the potatoes had been diced, unless it was a large dice. For an interesting use of sorrel, and as a main dish or a brunch dish, it was good. I felt it was too rich for a side dish.
Judy
Excellent use for a garden full of sorrel! Nice on its own as a vegetarian main, but I can see it working well as a side for fish or chicken. Leftovers made a great breakfast.
mardi
This recipe received rave reviews at my house. When I make it next time I’ll add a little more cheese.
Kate
Ended up adding broccoli and spinach into the mix. I used Monterey Jack cheese as I used all guyere . This is a good recipe.
Tom K
This makes a very tasty dinner with a salad. It’s a cross between a quiche and a gratin. I only made it to use up some leftover sorrel but surprisingly the sorrel is the least distinctive taste in this dish.
Helen Ullric
I made this with Yukon Gold potatoes and sorrel from my garden (zone 6a) but boosted the seasoning substantially, including additional salt, freshly ground white pepper, additional garlic, thyme and nutmeg. It was very good. I cut the potatoes into about one inch chunks and they held up fine. I would make this again but play around with some other seasonings.
Cathy
I used Kale instead of sorrel and sautéed it first with lots of garlic. Great, easy dinner
Julie
I made this because I had potatoes that needed attention, and such lovely sorrel in my garden then snails were having a party on it. The cook's notes are spot on. It's a potato pie, rather than a gratin. Despite the fact that I was originally looking for a gratin recipe, I'm so glad I tried this. I think it's like a "potato strata." I'm imagining a fabulous brunch dish with all kinds of meat treats and garnishes. I can still serve great bread along side, this gluten-free yumminess!
JeffB
“Aggressively season” should replace salt and pepper measurements. These are potatoes, they need a healthy amount of S&P. I followed the recipe in spirit, but since it’s late fall there was no sorrel to be found. I subbed out sautéed fennel and wilted dandelion leaves. Hearty and delicious for the holiday season.
Laurel W
Made as written and very disappointed. Will not repeat. Final result was dry, no comparison to the sublime unctuous texture of my usual go to gratin recipe. I love sorrel but the taste did not stand out here.
Rosalie
I had to use cheddar instead of gruyere too. The main error was using a too-large baking dish (Pyrex) and it’s important to fit in layers (even if it’s poured into the dish). So I ruined the look of it, but how can you go wrong with potatoes and cheese/eggs/milk? Our sorrel came from our garden, so this was a good way to use it. I’ll try this again with a Le Creuset pan that’s the right size.
Jane
I have grown sorrel from USDA Zone 5 to cool Zone 9 in the Pacific Northwest. I would not put regular sorrel into my garden because it runs rapidly over other, better-behaved plants. Over 15 years ago I bought 'Profusion' sorrel - from Richter's Herbs north of Toronto, Ontario. It is sterile and I am thankful to have found it. I am very fond of it, particularly in soups, and sorrel without bad garden habits is a grand improvement.
Peggy
I grow sorrel with ease in Virginia. It's a hardy, non-fussy perennial, which thrives even in pots or planters. Two plants is all I need for the whole season. I freeze it in batches throughout the growing season, which for me is about 10 months out of the year. As long as you keep cutting it back, it won't bolt.
EHL
Very good. I used russet potatoes (personal preference) and increased the liquid by about ½ cup but should have added more liquid. Shallots and about half a clove of garlic and a little dry mustard boosted the flavor.
Patty
Love this recipe! I used fresh sorrel and eggs (from my backyard) and added fennel fronds and then parsley on top at the end (both are growing in my garden and I needed to use them). It was amazing! Also I used cheddar cheese instead of gruyere because that it what I on hand.
Nancy
I felt this recipe was time consuming and required a lot of pots and utilities. That being said, for a main course with a salad it merits the time. I followed the recipe closely, but I only boiled/simmered the potatoes for 10 minutes, not 20. Also, I am not sure this would have turned out right if the potatoes had been diced, unless it was a large dice. For an interesting use of sorrel, and as a main dish or a brunch dish, it was good. I felt it was too rich for a side dish.
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