Gratin Dauphinois

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.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 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.