The Gratin Dauphinois By Alain Ducasse
Here is one of my favorite recipes for the winter season: le gratin dauphinois (au gratin potatoes in English).
Ingredients
- 2 kg (4 lbs) Russet potatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch Fleur de sel
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 50 cl (2 cups) sour cream
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 L (4 cups) whole milk
- 1.5 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch Poivre du moulin (freshly ground black pepper)
Instructions
- Peel, wash, and dry the potatoes. Using a mandolin, slice the potatoes into thin discs about 3mm thick. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
- In a large saucepan, add the sliced potatoes and pour in the cold milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the thyme, bay leaf, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir gently to combine.
- Cook the potatoes over low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. After cooking, remove the saucepan from the heat, cover, and let the potatoes infuse for an additional 10 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 220°C (392°F). Drain the potatoes, reserving the cooking milk.
- In a gratin dish, arrange a layer of potatoes, then cover with a portion of the sour cream. Add another layer of potatoes and pour the remaining sour cream over the top.
- Gradually pour the reserved cooking milk into the gratin dish until the liquid is about 1 cm from the top.
- Bake the gratin in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Serve the gratin hot, straight from the dish, and sprinkle with a bit of freshly ground pepper to finish.