GRATIN DAUPHINOIS
Layers of thinly sliced potatoes and grated cheese, slowly baked in garlic- and nutmeg-infused milky cream until tender, golden, creamy, and luxurious.
Jump to: PICTURE RECIPE TEXT RECIPE TIPS & VARIATIONS
Gratin Dauphinois is a traditional French potato gratin that dates back to the 18th century, originating from the Dauphiné, a historic region in southeastern France that was once part of the Holy Roman Empire.
In its original version, sliced, raw potatoes were layered inside a garlic-rubbed and buttered glass or earthenware dish, and then slowly baked with thick cream until tender and flavourful.
The traditional Gratin Dauphinois consists of potatoes and cream, without the addition of cheese or egg. There is a variant with cheese, the Gratin Savoyard, from the French Savoie region, but the cream in this recipe is replaced with beef or chicken broth.
Cheese or not cheese, the gratin, with its unctuous creaminess, is a perfect side dish for any protein or vegetable - whether sautéed, grilled, roasted, braised, or cooked in other ways - eliminating the need for pan sauces for dry-roasted meats or vegetables.
Gratin Dauphinois is a family favourite of ours, and one of my go-to dishes during festivities. It can be prepared ahead and reheated, and made in a large batch, so it's ideal for the holidays, as well as dinner parties. With all the cream and cheese, it is rich and decadent, and goes a long way as a side dish for a large crowd.
My recipe is slightly adjusted from the original. I use a mix of cream and milk, add cheese, more garlic, and a generous amount of nutmeg, but adjust the garlic, depending on my diners' preferences, and the cheese and nutmeg, depending on the dish I serve the gratin with.
Despite its luxuriousness, Gratin Dauphinois is an easy and uncomplicated dish to make, especially if using a mandolin or box grater, that speed up the potato cutting process.
The process is simple: The potatoes are peeled and thinly sliced, then layered with grated cheese and minced garlic, seasoned, and a blend of cream and milk is poured over at the end. The gratin is baked in the oven until tender and bubbling, the liquid is absorbed, and a golden-brown crust has formed on top.
My recipe is adapted from on a version I found in a French cookbook I purchased years ago at Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport on the way home from a business trip. The trip was a nightmare. I was super upset, and I couldn't wait to get back home.
Fortunately, Lyon airport has an excellent bookstore that provided a perfect distraction. After tearing myself away from the Petit Prince section, filled with books, toy planes, and other adorable Petit Prince collectibles, I stumbled upon this gem: 'The Food of France' - and in English, no less!
It's a fantastic book, packed with traditional French recipes, beautiful photos, and pull-out pages. It is brimming with French cheeses, breads, other baked goods, and French culinary delicacies. Needless to say, my mood was quickly restored. Lo and behold, the Gratin Dauphinois in this book is made with cheese!
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HOW TO MAKE
GRATIN DAUPHINOIS
Layers of thinly sliced potatoes and grated cheese, slowly baked in garlic- and nutmeg-infused milky cream until tender, golden, creamy, and luxurious.
Jump to: TEXT RECIPE TIPS & VARIATIONS
Recipe adapted from: "the food of FRANCE", Gratin Dauphinois
Makes: 6 Portions
- 1 kg floury (starchy) potatoes (but also waxy potatoes, if at hand)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 125-140g Gruyère*
- freshly grated nutmeg
- 250ml fresh heavy cream (I use this amount, as it's the standard size available; alternatively use 300ml but then reduce the milk to 100ml milk) (about 2/3 of total liquid)
- 150ml 35% full-fat milk (about 1/3 of total liquid)
- fine sea salt
- soft butter for the oven dish
*My favourite cheese for this gratin is Gruyère with its mildly nutty, earthy flavour and smooth creaminess. If you can't get hold of Gruyère, you can use any other cheese of your liking that melts well and has a nice, strong flavour, like Fontina, Asiago, Emmental or Pecorino Rigatello, also well as white cheddar combined with parmesan. Or a cheese mix for gratins or cheese fondue.
1 Gather all the ingredients.
2 Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan.
3 Prepare the baking dish: Peel and cut one of the garlic cloves in half, then rub it all over the inside of the baking dish. Butter the dish.
4 Mince the garlic, grate the cheese: Mince the garlic cloves. Grate the cheese on the coarse side of a box grater.
Note: if you prefer the gratin less garlicky, omit the additional minced garlic.
5 Peel the potatoes, placing them immediately in a bowl with cold water to prevent them from oxidation and turning brown.
6 Layer the gratin: Dry the potatoes and slice them thinly using a Mandolin, box grater, or a sharp knife. Since potatoes discolour quickly, slice and layer them into the dish immediately.
Arrange the first layer of potato slices in the dish, overlapping them like fish scales. Season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg, sprinkle with a little minced garlic, then add a layer of grated cheese.
Continue layering the gratin in this sequence up to just below the dish's rim in the same sequence:
*potatoes - salt - nutmeg - garlic - cheese*
Finish with a layer of potatoes, seasoned with salt, garlic and nutmeg. Reserve some cheese for the top.
7 Add milk & cream: Combine the cream with the milk, season with salt, then pour it into the dish on the side of the potatoes. The liquid should rise to the top layer of potatoes.
8 Add a final layer of cheese: Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
9 Bake: Place the gratin in the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. The gratin is ready when the liquid is nearly absorbed, and the potatoes are tender with a beautiful golden-brown crust on top. Towards the end of cooking time, regularly check the potatoes for doneness: insert a small knife into them all the way to the bottom of the dish. The knife should go in easily, but also come out with little resistance.
If needed, cover the dish with aluminium foil to prevent it from burning or becoming too dark before the potatoes are soft.
If the potatoes are tender before the top browns, you can increase the oven temperature at the end or place the dish under a medium-hot grill for a few minutes to achieve a nice golden top.
10 Rest: Take the gratin out of the oven, and let it sit, covered with aluminium foil, for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving. This allows it to set and firm up, resulting in tidier pieces when cut.
11 Serve: Cut the gratin into pieces and serve.
LINK2
GRATIN DAUPHINOIS
Layers of thinly sliced potatoes and grated cheese, slowly baked in garlic- and nutmeg-infused milky cream until tender, golden, creamy, and luxurious.
Jump to: PICTURE RECIPE TEXT RECIPE TIPS FOR XXX
Recipe adapted from: "the food of FRANCE", Gratin Dauphinois
Makes: 6 Portions
- 1 kg floury (starchy) potatoes (but also waxy potatoes, if at hand)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 125-140g Gruyère*
- freshly grated nutmeg
- 250ml fresh heavy cream (I use this amount, as it's the standard size available; alternatively use 300ml but then reduce the milk to 100ml milk) (about 2/3 of total liquid)
- 150ml 35% full-fat milk (about 1/3 of total liquid)
- fine sea salt
- soft butter for the oven dish
*My favourite cheese for this gratin is Gruyère with its mildly nutty, earthy flavour and smooth creaminess. If you can't get hold of Gruyère, you can use any other cheese of your liking that melts well and has a nice, strong flavour, like Fontina, Asiago, Emmental or Pecorino Rigatello, also well as white cheddar combined with parmesan. Or a cheese mix for gratins or cheese fondue.
1 Gather all the ingredients.
2 Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan.
3 Prepare the baking dish: Peel and cut one of the garlic cloves in half, then rub it all over the inside of the baking dish. Butter the dish.
4 Mince the garlic, grate the cheese: Mince the garlic cloves. Grate the cheese on the coarse side of a box grater.
Note: if you prefer the gratin less garlicky, omit the additional minced garlic.
5 Peel the potatoes, placing them immediately in a bowl with cold water to prevent them from oxidation and turning brown.
6 Layer the gratin: Dry the potatoes and slice them thinly using a Mandolin, box grater, or a sharp knife. Since potatoes discolour quickly, slice and layer them into the dish immediately.
Arrange the first layer of potato slices in the dish, overlapping them like fish scales. Season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg, sprinkle with a little minced garlic, then add a layer of grated cheese.
Continue layering the gratin in this sequence up to just below the dish's rim in the same sequence:
*potatoes - salt - nutmeg - garlic - cheese*
Finish with a layer of potatoes, seasoned with salt, garlic and nutmeg. Reserve some cheese for the top.
7 Add milk & cream: Combine the cream with the milk, season with salt, then pour it into the dish on the side of the potatoes. The liquid should rise to the top layer of potatoes.
8 Add a final layer of cheese: Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
9 Bake: Place the gratin in the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. The gratin is ready when the liquid is nearly absorbed, and the potatoes are tender with a beautiful golden-brown crust on top. Towards the end of cooking time, regularly check the potatoes for doneness: insert a small knife into them all the way to the bottom of the dish. The knife should go in easily, but also come out with little resistance.
If needed, cover the dish with aluminium foil to prevent it from burning or becoming too dark before the potatoes are soft.
If the potatoes are tender before the top browns, you can increase the oven temperature at the end or place the dish under a medium-hot grill for a few minutes to achieve a nice golden top.
10 Rest: Take the gratin out of the oven, and let it sit, covered with aluminium foil, for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving. This allows it to set and firm up, resulting in tidier pieces when cut.
11 Serve: Cut the gratin into pieces and serve.
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TIPS & VARIATIONS
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Potatoes: Always use raw sliced potatoes for the dish. I use either waxy or starchy potatoes, whichever I have at home, and both types work well. Starchy potatoes will be fluffier, while waxy potatoes maintain more structure and bite once cooked, which I personally prefer. If you opt for waxy potatoes, slice them thinly or use a mandolin, and leave the gratin in the oven a bit longer to allow the potatoes to soften and absorb the liquid.
Cheese: My favourite cheese for this gratin is Gruyère with its mildly nutty, earthy flavor and smooth creaminess. If you can't get hold of Gruyère, use any other cheese that melts well and has a nice, strong flavour, like Fontina, Pecorino Rigatello, Gouda, white cheddar mixed with Parmesan, or a mix of different cheeses. I have also used pre-grated gratin cheese mixes before, and they also worked well.
Liquid: Make sure to use full-fat cream and milk, as low-fat dairy products often separate when heated at heigh temperatures. I replace 1/3 of the cream with full-fat milk, and the gratin remains sufficiently rich, particularly with the addition of cheese layers.
The amount of liquid required may vary depending on the size of your oven dish. As you pour the liquid over the potatoes, make sure it nearly reaches the top layer. If the specified amount is not enough, simply combine additional cream and milk in a 2:1 ratio, season it, and pour it into the dish (make a note of the amount for future gratins).
By the time the dish is ready, the potatoes will have absorbed almost all the liquid, with the milk solids forming a flavourful, creamy, and thick layer between the potatoes.
Garlic: In the original recipe, the baking dish is rubbed with the cut side of a garlic clove, then the dish is buttered. In my version, I incorporate minced garlic into the potato layers. For a milder garlic flavour, you can skip this step.
Nutmeg: Freshly ground nutmeg imparts a delightful warm, nutty, and woodsy flavor to the gratin, complementing the cream and balancing its richness.
Quantities: My recipe is for a 20 x 20 cm baking dish and makes six generous servings. To prepare a larger batch, opt for a bigger roasting pan and multiply the ingredients.
Baking: The gratin is ready when the liquid is almost absorbed, and the potatoes are tender with a lovely golden-brown crust on top. Cooking times may vary based on the type of potatoes used and the thickness of the slices.
Towards the end of cooking time, frequently test the potatoes for doneness: insert a small knife all the way to the bottom of the dish. The knife should slide in easily but also come out with little resistance.
If needed, cover the dish with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning or getting too dark before the potatoes are soft.
If the potatoes become tender before the top browns, you can either raise the oven temperature at the end or put the dish under a medium-hot grill for a few minutes to achieve a nice golden top.
Resting: Fresh from the oven, the gratin might be slightly runny and difficult to cut into neat pieces, so let it rest for a bit to cool and firm up before slicing.
Alternatively, you can prepare the gratin ahead of time, or even the day before: once baked, leave it to cool completely, cover the baking dish with aluminium foil, and store it in the fridge until use. Once cooled and set, the gratin can be perfectly cut into neat slices and squares or even circles with the aid of a large cookie cutter for a more fancy presentation. You can see the difference in the pictures below.
Re-heating: Cover the gratin with foil and re-heat it in the oven at 180°C/160°C Fan for 15-20 minutes, or until hot throughout. Smaller pieces or individual servings can also be reheated in the microwave.
Serving suggestions: Gratin Dauphinois is a great side dish for most proteins or vegetarian dishes, whether grilled, roasted, sautéed, or prepared in other ways. Pair it with a light, acidic salad to balance its richness.
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