Caramelised Onion and Garlic Potato Gratin

INGREDIENTS

In a fry pan:
1 Tbsp butter
1 big onion, sliced thinly
3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped finely
Salt and pepper

In a sauce pan:2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
1 tsp red chilli flakes
Salt & pepper
4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly (use a mandolin if you have one)

1/4 cup grated parmesan

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Lightly butter an 8x8 inch baking dish.

2. Melt the butter in a fry pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook slowly until caramelized. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, prepare the bechamel sauce/white sauce by melting the butter, blending in the flour & adding the milk gradually while stirring constantly till the mixture thickens, 3-4 minutes. Add salt, pepper and red chilli flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Arrange half of the potato rounds in a layer, in a slightly overlapping fashion in the baking dish, and season with generous amounts of salt and pepper. Spoon half of the onion mixture over the potatoes. Repeat to make a second layer with the remaining potatoes, season, and sprinkle the rest of the caramelized onions over the top.

Pour the white sauce as evenly as possible all over the potatoes.  Sprinkle the top with the parmesan.

Bake for 60 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed, potatoes are tender and the surface is golden/lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.