Gratin dauphinois is a classic French dish from the Dauphiné region, known for its rich, creamy texture and comforting flavor. It is made with thinly sliced potatoes slowly baked in cream, milk, and garlic, often seasoned with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg. The dish is baked until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden and bubbling. Its luxurious, melt-in-the-mouth consistency comes from the slow cooking process, which allows the starch in the potatoes to naturally thicken the cream.
Served hot, it makes an elegant accompaniment to roasted meats or can be a satisfying main course on its own. Simple yet indulgent, gratin dauphinois is a timeless example of rustic French cuisine that highlights the beauty of quality ingredients and thoughtful preparation.
Gratin Dauphinois – a Delicious French Potato Casserole
A luxurious and creamy potato dish called Gratin Dauphinois is a true pride of French cuisine. Thinly sliced potatoes layered in a delicious cream sauce turn into a wonderful dish that is hard to stop eating once you taste it. You can make this gratin with just a few ingredients, and the taste will definitely surprise you.
You will need:
- 1.3 kg potatoes
- 400 ml cream, 35% fat
- 160 g hard cheese or other good-melting cheese
- 40 g butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1.5 teaspoons dried Provencal herbs, thyme or oregano are also suitable
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions:
- Pour the cream into a saucepan, add the butter, press in the garlic cloves, add the herbs de Provence, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Heat everything over low heat to melt the butter. You don’t need to boil it, just to warm everything up and let the flavors combine better. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into thin slices, about 2–3 mm thick. It is most convenient to cut with a slicer, but if you don’t have one, a knife will do – just try to make the slices more or less the same thickness.
- Grate the cheese.
- Start layering the casserole. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of the cream sauce in the baking dish.
- Arrange the potato slices on it so that their edges overlap slightly.
- Spread a third of the cream sauce on the potato slices.
- Sprinkle a third of the cheese on top.
- Add another layer of potatoes, pour in the second third of the cream sauce.
- Sprinkle with the second third of the cheese.
- Place the last layer of potato slices on top and pour in the remaining cream.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and press the edges tightly.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 170 °C for about 1.5 hours until the potatoes are soft (when you insert a knife into the middle of the casserole, the knife should pierce easily). Then increase the oven temperature to 200 °C, remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the roast and bake for about 10-15 minutes (or until the cheese melts and starts to brown slightly).
- Remove the roast from the oven, let it stand for 7-8 minutes, and then serve immediately. You can sprinkle it with a pinch of fresh herbs before serving.
Bon appetit!
Image Resource: Canva.