CABBAGE AND POTATO GRATIN WITH MUSTARD BREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place bacon in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat and cook about 2 minutes. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until bacon is crisp and onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper and sauté, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add cabbage and sauté, stirring frequently until cabbage wilts a bit, about 5 minutes.
• Turn cabbage mixture into a shallow 1 1/2 or 2-quart casserole dish. Pour cream into sauté pan and reduce over high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Pour cream over cabbage and stir to mix. Cover casserole with foil. Bake 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over low heat. When it is foamy, add bread crumbs and sauté, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until crisp and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, add garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, mustard and parsley, stirring well to combine. Sprinkle casserole with cheese, then with bread crumbs, and return to oven uncovered. Bake until fragrant and bubbling slightly around edges, about 5 minutes. Serve as a side dish to roast fowl, pork or meaty fish like monk or halibut.