Recipe: The Grove chef Ben Heaton’s elegant take on scalloped potatoes

PREP TIME: 1 hour COOK TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes Serves 12

SCALLOPED SWEET POTATOES

2 tbsp olive oil 3 red onions, thinly sliced 1 tsp Keen’s mustard powder 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp each mace, nutmeg and pepper 2 cups Lancashire cheese, finely grated 1 ½ cups chicken broth 1 cup whipping cream Pea shoots for garnish

1. In a large pan, caramelize onions in oil with mustard, stirring often, for 50 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and layer potatoes in the bottom. Sprinkle spices, ⅓ of the onions and ½ cup cheese. Repeat twice, reserving ½ cup cheese for topping. Pour broth and cream overtop; press down with hands to distribute liquid. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

2. Remove foil and raise oven to 450°F. Top with reserved cheese. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes. Let rest for 30 minutes.

TIP Cut down on prep time and ensure uniform slices by using a mandoline for the sweet potatoes. Japan’s Benriner is inexpensive and stands up well. Be sure to use the safety guard.

BEN HEATON THE GROVE England-born chef Ben Heaton opened The Grove on Dundas West last year, instantly elevating the standard of British food in Toronto. He spins new flavours into old-school English dishes, like blood sausage and beans on toast. He preserves the comfort of each dish but amps up the elegance. His scalloped sweet potatoes are made with Lancashire cheese and a serious dose of heavy cream for Anglo-appropriate heft. Save them for Sunday dinner.

Recipes developed by Victoria Walsh. Recipe photography by Ryan Szulc. Illustrations by Aleksandar Janicijevic. Interviews by Meaghan Binstock, Chantal Braganza, Matthew Hague, Peter Saltsman, Courtney Shea and Caroline Youdan.