Classic Potato Gratin Dauphinois
serves 2-4
The classic French potato gratin calls for layering potatoes with cream, a little garlic and nutmeg -- no cheese. Combined with the starchiness of the potatoes, the cream makes the gratin sufficiently thick and rich, and lets the flavor of potatoes and nutmeg shine.
1 pound starchy white potatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
5 ounces heavy cream
5 ounces whole milk
prep: 10 minutes
total: 1 hour 40 minutes
mandoline
large bowl
microplane grater
casserole dish
kitchen towel
baking sheet
1. Cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick slices. A mandoline works best, but a very sharp knife will do. Put the potatoes in a large bowl of cold water.
2. Prep the garlic and the nutmeg. Rub the casserole dish with one tablespoon of the butter and reserve the rest of the butter to be dotted on top of the gratin.
3. Preheat the oven to 300F. Thoroughly dry the potatoes in the kitchen towel and add them in a single layer in the bottom of the casserole dish. Top the first layer with some minced garlic and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Layer on more potatoes, garlic, salt and pepper, and repeat until the casserole is full.
4. Mix the cream, milk and nutmeg together and pour the mixture all over the casserole. Press the potatoes down with your hands to be sure the liquid distributes evenly throughout the casserole. Dot the top of the casserole with the remaining butter.
5. Put the casserole dish onto a baking sheet, and into the oven on the highest rack. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, or until thick, bubbly and browned. Let the gratin rest for 10 minutes before serving.
