Recipes › Gourmet Potato › Potato Gratin Dauphinois
Potato Gratin Dauphinois
The most refined potato gratin in the French canon — thinly sliced gourmet potatoes layered in cream and garlic, baked low and slow until each slice is saturated with richness and the top bubbles with golden, slightly caramelized cream. No cheese, no flour — just potato, cream, garlic, and patience. Perfection.
Gourmet Potato is usually ready July. More gourmet potato recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs gourmet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick on a mandoline — waxy varieties preferred
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic, 1 halved for rubbing the dish, 2 minced for cream
- 1 tbsp butter, for greasing
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1½ tsp flaky salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
Contains: milk, cereals gluten.
Method
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Rub a 9×13-inch baking dish with the cut garlic clove, then butter it well.About 3 min
- Gently heat cream with minced garlic, thyme, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper in a saucepan over low heat until steaming. Do not boil. Remove thyme.About 8 min
- Layer potato slices in the dish in overlapping rows. Pour warm cream mixture evenly over. Press potatoes gently down into the cream.About 10 min
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 25 to 30 more minutes until top is deep golden and a knife slides through with zero resistance.About 75 min
- Rest for 10 minutes before serving. The gratin should be just firm enough to scoop cleanly.About 10 min
Tips
- Do not pre-soak or rinse the potato slices — the starch is essential for binding the gratin
- Low, slow baking (325°F) is the correct approach — high heat causes the cream to separate
- Resting before serving is not optional — it allows the cream to set so it scoops cleanly
Ring the changes
- Add a layer of thinly sliced truffles between the potato layers for a celebratory version
- Scatter 1 cup of shredded Comté or Gruyère on top before the uncovered baking stage
Keeping it
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 300°F oven for 20 minutes. Genuinely improves with resting.
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