Stock Pot Potatoes

Now I'm certain the French have a name for potatoes cooked in this fashion, I'm also sure they would never use vegetable stock. It's the time of year when I am digging potatoes from the garden and this year there seems to be a real abundance of them, enough to make me try cooking them in a variety of ways, I find this one of the most comforting and versatile.

For this recipe you will need;
1 kilo of potatoes
500g of onions
4 fat cloves of garlic
3 bay leaves
1 sprig of thyme
1 tablespoon of olive oil
knob of butter
400ml of vegetable stock
white pepper

Begin by slicing the onions, chopping the garlic and sweating them in the olive oil and bay leaves, over a gentle heat for 10 minutes or so until the onions take on a little colour.
Meanwhile slice the potatoes, not too thinly, I find 5mm minimum works well.
When the onions have taken on a little colour, arrange them in an ovenproof casserole layered with the potatoes. Pour the vegetable stock over the layers and pop the sprig of thyme on top, either put on the lid or a piece of kitchen foil and bake in a moderate oven, 170C for an hour. Remove the lid or foil and dot the top with the small amount of butter, bake for a further 30 minutes until the top has browned a little.

Notes:
Caramelising the onions makes all the difference to this dish, adding a depth of sweet, onion flavour.
Add grated cheese to these potatoes when cold and you have an excellent filling for a quick pastie of pie.