Delmonico Potatoes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 white rose potatoes, about 1 3/4 lb total weight, scrubbed
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 cups firmly packed coarsely shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
cayenne pepper, a pinch
1 cup whole milk
1 large shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dried summer savory or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups fresh sourdough breadcrumbs

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter an 11 x 7 inch baking dish or other 8-cup baking dish.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the unpeeled whole potatoes until just tender when pierced with a small knife, about 25 minutes.
Drain, let cool, and peel.
Cut the potatoes into small dice.
Transfer to a large bowl and add 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
Toss to coat.
Add 1 cup of the cheese and 1/2 cup of the cream; mix well.
In a small, heavy sauce, melt 1 T of the butter over med-low heat.
Whisk in the flour, dry mustard, cloves, and cayenne and cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the milk and the remaining 1/2 cup cream.
Increase heat to med-high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
Remove from the heat.
Add 1/2 cup of the cheese, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper and whisk until the cheese melts.
Pour the sauce over the potatoes and stir to blend.
Transfer to the prepared dish.
In a heavy frying pan, melt the remaining 2 T butter over medium heat.
Add the shallot and summer savory and saute until the shallot softens, about 3 minutes.
Add the bread crumbs and stir until they are crisp and golden, about 7 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool.
Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and 1/4 tsp black pepper; set aside.
Bake the potatoes, uncovered, until the sauce is bubbling thickly and the potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the potatoes.
Continue to bake until the topping is crisp and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.