Dauphinoise Potatoes

Can’t believe that I haven’t posted this recipe before......what an omission! To cook something 'à la Dauphinoise' means to bake it in a slow oven with cream and garlic.


You will need

500g potatoes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
100ml full-fat crème fraîche
100ml double cream
100ml fresh milk
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 onion, sliced into thin rings
100g grated gruyere
50g grated parmesan


And then you need to:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F

Peel the potatoes and slice them wafer-thin, preferably using a mandolin and preferably without including the tips of your fingers. Put in large bowl, cover with cold water and leave to sit for about 10 minutes.

Put the milk, creme fraiche, double cream and bay leaves in a large saucepan and gently bring to the boil.

Drain the potatoes well and put into the saucepan with the heated milk/cream. Simmer gently for no more than five minutes.

Rub butter over the bottom of a baking dish, and then spread a thin layer of sliced onions. With a slotted spoon remove about half of the potatoes and layer them roughly in the baking dish.

Sprinkle half of the chopped garlic and half of the remaining onions over the potatoes. Cover with half of the gruyere cheese.

Season generously with salt and black pepper.

Then layer the rest of the potatoes on top. Try and make the top layer look neat and tidy with overlapping slices of potatoes.

When all the potatoes are in, sprinkle the rest of the garlic and onions on top and pour over the milky, creamy mixture from the saucepan. Remove the bay leaves. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and the rest of the gruyere on top.

Season again.

Cover with foil and place in the oven.

After 50-60 minutes remove the foil and cook for a further 20 minutes.