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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Gratin Dauphinois (Scalloped Potatoes)



Some of the tastiest things in life are made of few simple ingredients. Gratin dauphinois is one of those dishes. It consists of just potatoes, cream, cheese and butter, with a little salt and fresh c

ut herbs as garnish. Ok, it's not the healthiest meal in the world but that's why they invented treadmills.

Ingredients

Yields: 4 servings
4 tablespoons butter, or less
2 to 3 whole Yukon potatoes, depending on size
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel (or regular salt), freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon white peppercorns, freshly ground
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
2 ounces gruyère, shredded
1 tablespoon curly parsley, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven at 375°F.

I used 4 mini oval eared dishes.

Grease the dishes with butter, then rub garlic on the bottom and inner sides of each dish. Pour a little bit of cream at the bottom of each dish.

Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/16-inch thick slices with a mandoline. Make a first thin packed layer of potatoes.

In a bowl, mix the cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

In a small pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and saute the remaining garlic until light golden. Sprinkle over the first layer of potatoes. Sprinkle a thin layer of gruyère. Coat the layered potatoes with the cream mixture using a tablespoon. Layer the rest of the sliced potatoes, make sure it's tightly and evenly packed. Pour the rest of the cream on each dish. Finish with the rest of the gruyère. Top with bits of butter.

Place 4 dishes on a baking sheet. Bake for about 50 minutes. Check for tenderness of the potatoes with a knife.

Serve immediately. Don't forget to sprinkle the parlsey on top.

C'est délicieux!
Tips

I love Yukon potatoes for this dish. This variety is very common in France. I love them because they have buttery flavor. Yukons are great for mashed potatoes as well. Pick smooth skin potatoes. Discard any green discolored ones, they might be poisonous and can have a bitter taste.

Place the potato slices one by one. It will cook faster and will have a better presentation.

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