French · Side · Easy
Gratin Dauphinois
Paper-thin potatoes layered with garlic and cream, baked until the top turns crisp and golden. Comfort food at its most elegant.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Gratin Dauphinois, in 5 ideas
- Thin slices cook through evenly and absorb the cream properly
- Leaving the potato starch on is what thickens the sauce naturally
- Rubbing garlic into the dish gives a gentle perfume without chunks
- Nutmeg is the quiet classic seasoning that makes this taste French
- Resting after baking turns a sloppy gratin into sliceable layers
What you need
Ingredients
- 1.2kg floury potatoes (Russet or Maris Piper), peeled
- 500ml heavy cream
- 250ml whole milk
- 2 garlic cloves, halved
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 30g unsalted butter, for the dish
How to make it
Directions
- Heat the oven to 170C (150C fan). Rub the cut sides of the garlic over the inside of a 2-liter baking dish, then butter it generously.
- Warm the cream and milk in a saucepan with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg until just steaming. Do not boil.
- Slice the potatoes as thinly as you can, ideally 2 to 3mm, using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Do not rinse the slices; the starch helps the gratin set.
- Layer the potato slices in the dish, overlapping slightly, salting lightly between every second layer.
- Pour the warm cream mixture over the potatoes so it settles between the layers. Press gently so the slices lie flat.
- Bake 60 to 70 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling and a knife slides through the center with no resistance.
- Rest 10 minutes before serving so the layers set and slice cleanly.
Potatoes are pennies a kilo and cream stretches far, so this is one of the cheapest sides that still looks fancy. Make it the day before; it reheats beautifully and tastes even better.