Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
Serves 4
- 800 g (1.75 lb) potatoes (preferably waxy)
- 500 ml (2 cups) heavy cream
- 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) milk
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 50 g (3½ Tbsp) butter
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- Salt, pepper
Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices (the thinner they are, the faster and more evenly they will cook). Rub the bottom and sides of the gratin dish with the garlic.
Put the potatoes in a saucepan with the milk, garlic, nutmeg and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Gently pour the potatoes and the cream mixture into the dish. Scatter a few small pieces of butter over the top.
Bake for about 1 hour. The gratin should be nicely golden and cooked all the way through. To check, insert the tip of a knife: it should go in and come out easily.
Serve with a big green salad, and dig in!
Let it rest for a few minutes before serving, because the dish will be very hot.
Tips and timing
A 100% authentic gratin dauphinois is, strictly speaking, made with cream only and no milk. It’s up to you which you prefer.
If the gratin is browning too quickly, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil to protect the top and keep cooking.
You can make the gratin the day before (it’s even better reheated). In that case, bake it for about 30 minutes, then finish cooking it the next day.
For a variation, you can add thyme or Emmental (or Gruyère), but purists will tell you it’s no longer a gratin dauphinois, just a potato gratin!