Potatoes au Gratin

subtle taste, decadent impact

Gratin dauphinois, a stunningly velvety side dish that is always a fan favourite. With only four main ingredients, the way to ensure this dish sings is completing all steps with patience and care. It is easy to throw all ingredients into a bowl and pour it into a baking dish. Sliver and Bite slows the method down and treats the dish with the respect it deserves.

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

Serves

3 hrs

THE FACTS

Best cooked low and slow

Able to adjust the flavour profile

Layer with care for even cooking

Inexpensive ingredients

INGREDIENTS

2kg peeled starchy potatoes approx. 2.3kg unpeeled

2 cloves garlic

Nutmeg to taste

900g 4 cups cream

260g 1 cups milk

Butter to grease foil and baking dish

½ cup grated gruyere cheese

20g 1 tbsp salt

3g 1 tsp white pepper

GARNISH

Thinly cut chives

Salt and pepper to taste

Sliver and Bite had refined gratin dauphinois the ingredients and method by researching entry level cooks to celebrity chefs. The base of this recipe is authentic with just a few additions to bring the experience into a more modern world where people expect just a little more.

Bite Size Look

0 min

Just a Sliver Tutorial

3 min

Real time Tutorial

39 min

METHOD

1. Mix cream, milk, garlic, salt, white pepper and nutmeg in a bowl large enough to hold the liquid and the sliced potatoes.

a. Leave to the side to infuse

2. Peel potatoes and place in water whole if you aren’t using right away.

3. Cut into thin slices approximately ½ cm

4. Lay out to dry the water / starch off

a. You don’t want the cream mixture to be diluted why excess water and starch.

5. Place the dried sliced potatoes into the cream mixture.

a. Gently mix to ensure they are all coated with cream.

6. Butter the baking dish generously .

a. This assists in flavouring and preventing the potatoes sticking to the bottom.

7. Layer the potatoes uniformly back and forth in the baking dish.

a. Do not lay in only one direction as the thickness will be uneven

b. After each layer pour in a little cream mixture pressing down to check the layer is even and remove any air pockets.

8. Drizzle some of the leftover cream bringing it up 1 cm over the potatoes.

9. Dust a light layer of nutmeg over the top along with some optional grated cheese

a. The cheese is not an authentic element but more a modern addition.

10. Wipe the sides of the dish of any cream drips and place into a bain-marie with a clean kitchen cloth to avoid any bubbles from boiling water.

11. Butter a doubled over piece of foil and tightly wrap.

12. Place into a preheated 140c / 285f oven for 90 min.

a. At the halfway point retrieve the baking dish and push down the potatoes to bring any of the cream that hasn’t soaked into the potatoes to pool on the top of the dish.

b. No need to place the foil back as its time to brown the top of the dish.

13. Retrieve the baking tray and push the potatoes down again to bring any air pockets to the top and grate a little more nutmeg on and some optional cheese.

a. Return the potatoes back to the oven for a further 30 to 50 minutes at 170c / 338f.

14. When the top of the dauphinois is a golden brown and you have conducted a skewer test and happy with the tenderness of the potatoes.

15. Place on the bench for the potatoes to soak up any of the residual liquid

a. Use the foil to lightly cover the top of the baking dish to keep a little of the warm in.

16. Serve with a main protein of your choice and a sprinkle of salt, pepper and some chopped chives.