Gratin Dauphinois — the classic French dish with potatoes, cream and garlic

Gratin Dauphinois is one of the best-loved dishes of French cuisine — potatoes cut into thin rounds, baked slowly in milk and cream flavoured with garlic, until they soften completely and the surface takes on a tasty golden crust. The recipe comes from the Dauphiné region of France and is today cooked in homes and restaurants around the world, as described also in the Wikipedia encyclopedia.

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg potatoes
• 500 ml milk
• 250 ml cooking cream
• 2 garlic cloves
• 60 g butter
• 80 g grated Gruyère cheese (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Extra butter for greasing the dish

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 160°C and grease a glass dish with butter.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into very thin rounds (2–3 mm), without rinsing them — the starch gives the sauce its creaminess.
3. Cut the garlic cloves in half and rub them over the inside of the dish, then chop them finely.
4. In a saucepan, warm the milk with the cream, the chopped garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg — without letting it boil.
5. Arrange the potatoes in the dish in layers and pour the warm milk and cream over them until covered.
6. Press lightly with a spoon to release the air between the layers and scatter the surface with pieces of butter (and the grated cheese, if using it).
7. Bake for 60–75 minutes, until the surface is golden and the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
8. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Preparation time: 20 minutes | Baking time: 60–75 minutes | Servings: 6 people