Gratin Dauphinois

Method

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1. Heat the oven to 160°C / 320°F. Rub a shallow 25 cm baking dish hard with the cut garlic halves, then butter it generously.

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2. Peel the potatoes and slice them 3 mm thick on a mandoline. Do not rinse them — that starch is your thickener.

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3. Put the cream, milk, crushed garlic, bay, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a wide pan and bring to a bare simmer.

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4. Slide in the potato slices, separating them with a spoon, and simmer very gently for 10 minutes, stirring carefully twice. The cream will visibly thicken.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

5. Fish out the bay leaf. Tip everything into the dish and level the top, pressing the slices down so the cream just covers them.

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6. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes until a knife slips through with no resistance and the top is deeply bronzed. If it browns early, tent loosely with foil.

   Mark done Start 60 min timer

7. Rest for 15 minutes before serving. It needs that time to set enough to cut into clean squares.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• A mandoline is not optional here — uneven slices cook unevenly and the gratin will have both raw and disintegrated layers.
• Purists use no cheese at all. If you want a crust, 40 g of Gruyère in the last 15 minutes is the discreet compromise.
• Assemble a day ahead, refrigerate, and reheat at 150°C / 300°F for 30 minutes — it is arguably better on day two.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Roast lamb, beef or a simple roast chicken
• A bitter leaf salad to cut the richness
• A red from the Rhône or a Beaujolais

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat portions covered at 160°C / 320°F for 20 minutes. Freezing splits the cream, so it is not recommended.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.