Gratin Dauphinois

Elmotoo's Note:

From Ruth Reichl's Gourmet Weekly to you via my inbox, lol. Her words: This scalloped potato dish is part of our culinary repertoire, and we hope it will become part of yours too. There is something about the texture of the potatoes surrounded by creamy goodness and topped by golden brown cheese that wows people. It is perfect for a buffet supper or potluck; in our experience, it is the first thing to disappear. The technique of starting the potatoes in a saucepan of half-and-half and ending them in a buttered gratin dish comes from the masterful Jacques Pépin. Couldn't say it better myself, so I didn't. :) I did make minor tweaks to the ingredients/amounts.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 1/2 lbs boiling potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
• 3 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup coarsely grated gruyere

Directions:

1. Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 400°F Generously butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish.
2. Peel potatoes. Cut crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick slices with slicer and transfer to a 4-quart heavy saucepan. Add half-and-half, garlic, salt, and pepper and bring just to a boil over moderate heat.
3. Pour potato mixture into buttered dish, distributing potatoes evenly. Sprinkle nutmeg and cheese evenly over top. Bake until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Reviews

[AZPARZYCH]

These were very good! I used heavy cream since I had some that needed to be used and it made these potatoes so rich and creamy! the gruyere cheese was a nice change from cheddar or parmesan and gave it the right amount of saltiness. Made for AUS/NZ Recipe Swap.

[Jen T]

I too used half milk and half cream and it worked fine. I also used a grated four cheese mix for the topping. This all was well received by the family and I would make again but maybe add in some garlic as well. A lovely dish for a cold night :) Made for Aus/NZ swap June 2011.

[I'mPat]

We don't get half and half her in Australia but in the past I have had success using half milk and a mixing with thickened cream but in this recipe though the dish looked good and I must admitted tasted really good but when plating up it was watery, not that thickcreamy sauce I thought I would get. The only change I made was that I used paprika instead if nutmeg otherwise cooked to recipe.. Made for Aussie/Kiwi Swap #52 May 2011.