Gratin Dauphinois - Classic French Potatoes Baked In Cream

Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 1/2 lbs charlotte potatoes or 3 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups heavy double cream or 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
• 2 cups grated gruyere cheese (optional)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 2 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh chives and flat-leaf italian parsley

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375f (190c).
• 2 rub a large 3-qt. (3-l) baking dish about 3 1/2 inches deep with a split garlic clove and butter generously.
• 3 chop the garlic.
• 4 using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes as thinly as possible, about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. blot the slices dry with paper towels.
• 5 spread a layer of potatoes in the prepared dish, slightly overlapping them if desired, and sprinkle with salt & pepper; cover evenly with a small amount of cream, and sprinkle with a little chopped garlic (sprinkle layers and top with grated gruyere cheese, if using).
• 6 repeat the layering until all the potatoes and garlic are used and the potatoes are completely submerged by the cream.
• 7 dot with small bits of butter.
• 8 bake in the hot preheated oven for a good hour, then increase the temperature to 400f (200c) for the last 15-20 minutes until the potatoes have absorbed all of the cream and the top has turned a nice golden brown in color.
• 9 serve in the cooking dish straight from the oven, sprinkling each portion with some of the chives and parsley.
• 10 menu idea: serve with steak, peaches in red wine and a beaujolais wine to drink!