As far as I am concerned, a French-style potato gratin is the epitome of comfort food. With its creamy interior, earthly flavored potatoes and cheesy crust, this is a deeply satisfying dish. While similar to North American scalloped potatoes, the method here is slightly different.
I learned this technique from Chef Chambrette when I worked as a stagiaire at La Varenne École de Cuisine many years ago. The sliced potatoes are simmered gently in seasoned milk before being transferred to the oven to finish baking. This allows the potatoes to absorb the milk’s flavor and develop remarkable depth. A word of warning: Simmering the potatoes will leave a sticky residue in the saucepan. Follow my tip below to streamline the clean-up.
While revisiting this recipe, I learned that the type of potato matters. I tried the recipe several times with starchy russet potatoes, and the potatoes got too soft. But when I switched to medium-starch Yukon Golds, I was much happier with the result. The potato slices became tender but remained intact.
The seasoning for this gratin is delicate. Rubbing the gratin dish with the cut side of a garlic clove imparts a subtle note of garlic. Many French cream sauces are seasoned with a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg, which lends a faint spicy richness. While I am happy to use pre-ground nutmeg in baked goods, I recommend using freshly ground for this recipe (and your cream sauces). Whole nutmeg pods keep indefinitely and are easy to grate with a microplane grater.
Even when I am dining solo, I enjoy this dish as I look forward to the leftovers, which reheat well in the microwave.
I have always thought of this dish as gratin dauphinois. This name refers to the mountainous Dauphiné region in south-eastern France where the recipe originated. But in researching this recipe, I learned that an authentic grain dauphinois should not contain cheese. As I am partial to the taste that cheese imparts to the dish, I am calling it simply gratin de pommes de terre (or potato gratin).
Whatever you choose to call this dish, I hope that it brings you comforting warmth on a chilly March evening
A mandoline slicer or food processor fitted with a slicing disc is helpful to ensure that the potato slices are a uniform thickness. You can use a sharp knife to slice the potatoes but take care to make slices of a similar thickness; shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish.
1 3/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 small bay leaf
1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 5 medium)
Half a clove of garlic
2 teaspoons softened butter or olive oil for greasing the baking dish
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1 cup shredded Gruyère or Comté cheese
1. Place the milk, salt, nutmeg and bay leaf in a large heavy medium saucepan. Peel the potatoes and slice them about 1/8-inch thick. You should have about 4 cups sliced potatoes. (Use a mandoline slicer or a food processor, if you can, to ensure that the slices are a uniform thickness. Do not rinse the slices; you want the starch to thicken the sauce.) Add the slices to the milk right after slicing to prevent them from browning. Bring the milk to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, to prevent the potatoes from sticking.
2. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the potatoes (The potatoes will continue to cook in the oven.)
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425ºF. Rub the cut side of the halved garlic clove over the surface of a shallow 1 ½-quart baking dish. Brush the butter or oil over the dish.
4. When the potatoes are ready, use a skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer them to the prepared baking dish, discarding the bay leaf. Spread
the potatoes into an even layer. Season with pepper. Spread the crème fraîche over the potatoes. (The crème fraîche may seem stiff at first
but it will softenwith the heat of the potatoes.) Sprinkle with the cheese.
5. If your baking dish is quite full, set it on or over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet as a precaution against any spillover. Bake the gratin until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Let the gratin stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 servings
Dairy-based sauces tend to leave a sticky residue on cooking vessels. Here is an easy trick for cleaning it up: Fill the pan or baking dish with boiling water. Add some dishwasher detergent, cover and let stand for several hours or overnight. The residue should wash off easily. If it doesn’t, repeat the process.
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