Gratin Dauphinois
Description
These potatoes have been a staple in my kitchen for 20+ years. We don't indulge in the pleasure of eating Gratin Dauphinois as much as we used to but we think about making it a lot.
Noted on /23/2012
Ingredients
- 3 lb medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly (1/8-inch or less)
- 2 qt whole milk
- 4 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 3 bay leaves
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup créme fraîche or heavy cream
- 10 oz Gruyére cheese, grated
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and pour in the milk. Add water if the milk doesn't completely cover the potatoes. Add the garlic, salt and bay leaves to the pot and bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat so that the liquid just simmers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.
- Using a large, slotted spoon or spider, transfer half the potatoes to an eight-cup gratin dish. Sprinkle with plenty of nutmeg, lots of pepper, a little salt, half the cream and half the cheese. Cover with the remaining potatoes and sprinkle again with pepper, nutmeg, salt and the remaining cream and cheese. (Discard the milk mixture.)
- Bake until the gratin is crisp and golden on top, about one hour. Let the gratin rest for 10 minutes and serve.
Cook's Notes
Take me seriously about the thinness of the potatoes. The gratin just isn't as good if the potatoes aren't thin enough. A plastic Japanese mandolin is a great tool (not too expensive) for cutting perfect identical thin slices.
Yield
6 to 8 servings
Ingredient Notes
Freshly ground nutmeg and freshly ground pepper - please don't use a light hand with either. The seasoning is almost as important as the quality of the cheese.
Gruyére cheese - use the best quality that you can find.