Vegan scalloped potatoes
They don’t have to be vegan they just are, ok?
I’m not quite sure what it is about scalloped potatoes (potato scallop, or pot scals as I like to call them), but almost everyone I know loves them. I do not.
Maybe it’s their nostalgia taking hold, memories of their grandmother making the layered creamy side dish for Sunday dinner. I also have that memory I just don’t treasure it as dearly.
Of those nostalgia-laden people is my fiancé. He very much likes pot scals. I love him so I make them.
Indeed the thought of salt, heavy cream, cheese and more cheese makes most people happy. It makes me happy too don’t get me wrong, but it also makes me think — ouch that’s for sure going to ruin my insides. So I make them yes, but without dairy. They taste just as good and are just as rich so don’t come after me all upset before trying them.
Vegan Pot Scals
You will need
2 lbs (or however many potatoes you feel like eating) yellow or red-fleshed potatoes
2 tbsp tapioca flour
1 C non-dairy milk of your choosing (I use almond but have been known to use oat)
2 garlic cloves, minced — or 1 large tbsp pre-minced garlic
Non-dairy butter or olive oil
1 tsp Summer savoury
1–2 tbsp dried sage (if you have fresh, cool use that. Roughly 1 tbsp chopped) 1/2 tbsp Vegetable broth (powdered, roughly half cup liquid)
2 shallots
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt to season
The cream sauce
In a small sauce pan heat oil or non-dairy margarine on medium heat.
Add chopped shallots and cook until browning (10–12 minutes).
Add minced garlic, cook another 5 minutes.
Once browned add sage, savoury, onion powder, paprika and stir together.
Immediately add liquids — non-dairy milk, 1/2 cup of broth and tapioca powder that has been dissolved in either water or broth (roughly half cup of chosen liquid) turn heat to medium-high and stir.
Stir constantly until mixture starts to thicken. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Once thickened turn off heat.
Potatoes
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
In a deep casserole dish, round, square (at least 8 inches round)— whatever, layer thinly sliced potatoes* slightly overlapping each other until you’ve filled the dish. Leave a quarter of an inch of space at the top so your potatoes don’t over boil when cooking.
Pour cream sauce over potatoes distributing it evenly with a spatula so that sauce gets into all the lil’ nooks and crannies of your layered masterpiece*.
Cover with tin foil and cook for 25 minutes. Remove tin foil and cook another 35–40 minutes uncovered.
They will be done when top is slightly browned and potatoes can be stuck with a knife or fork.
*You need to ensure potatoes are not too thin (read transparent) so that they don’t over cook, and not too thick so that they actually cook. I suggest 1/8th of an inch. If you don’t know what that looks like, google it or guess and pray you get perfect pot scals. I believe in you.
- You can, and I fully encourage you to, top your pot scals with non-dairy cheese shreds. I think it would be really neat if you did that.
— Enjoy.
