Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Combine cream and half and half in a heavy bottom saucepot with most of the fresh sage and 2 cinnamon sticks, and begin to reduce over low heat. Reduce sauce to half its volume, or one quart total, 30-40 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, peel and slice potatoes crosswise thinly with a mandoline or small slicer, approximately 1/8-inch thickness. Soak potato slices in a bowl of cold water while preparing the rest of the dish.

3. Peel and slice carrots similarly. To slice the leeks, cut off and discard the tops at the spot where they turn light green to dark green. Slice crossways up the leeks, cutting them into small onion rings. Rinse under cold water.

4. After the cream reduction has reduced and gotten thicker, taste to see if it needs a bit more cinnamon, and add salt and pepper to taste. Be careful not to oversalt; this cream will reduce a bit more in the oven. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove cinnamon sticks, herbs, etc. Preheat oven to 350°.

5. Prepare casserole by spraying the sides and bottom with nonstick spray. Begin building the gratin by layering alternating vegetables across the bottom, using the drained potatoes for the bottom layer. Overlap each slice a bit so there are not too many gaps. Add a bit of the cream sauce in between layers and alternate two layers of potato, then one carrot, and one leek layer. Finish with a layer of potatoes on top. Push down a bit on the top layer to ensure the cream covers most of the top layer.

6. Cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and check doneness in the middle with a toothpick. If it feels resistance, bake for a bit longer. Once it is fully cooked, sprinkle brown sugar over top and return to oven uncovered until sugar has gotten golden brown and bubbly. Remove and cool for at least 30 minutes.

The Original Fish Market, Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh, 1001 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412.227.3657. www.theoriginalfishmarket.com