Gratin dauphinois – potatoes baked in cream Recipe
Gratin dauphinois is a French potato bake from the Dauphiné region. Thinly sliced potatoes are slowly baked in cream with garlic until soft and creamy. It’s a favorite side dish for roasted meats at family dinners, but it can just as easily play the main role with a simple salad.
This classic French gratin turns simple potatoes into an elegant, ultra-creamy side dish with minimal ingredients. Slow baking in cream and garlic gives it a luxurious texture and deep flavor that pairs with almost any main course.
Chef's tips
Slice the potatoes as evenly and thinly as possible—this is key to getting a perfectly tender, uniform gratin. If you don’t have a mandoline, use a very sharp knife and take your time. Taste the cream mixture before pouring it over the potatoes and adjust the seasoning; once baked, it’s harder to correct. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover the dish with foil again for the last part of baking.
How to serve
Serve in generous squares straight from the baking dish, with a green salad dressed in a sharp vinaigrette to balance the richness. It pairs beautifully with roast chicken, steak, slow-cooked beef, or baked salmon. For a vegetarian meal, serve it alongside roasted vegetables and a simple leafy salad.
Ingredients
- potatoes waxy or all-purpose type - 1 kg
- cream 30–36% fat - 400 ml
- milk - 100 ml
- garlic - 2 clove
- butter for greasing the dish - 20 g
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- nutmeg optional - 0.25 teaspoon
- yellow cheese grated, optional for the top - 60 g
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Grease a baking dish (about 20×30 cm) with butter.
- Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the bottom and sides of the dish with it, then finely chop the remaining garlic.
- Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly, ideally 2–3 mm thick. Try to keep the slices a similar thickness so they bake evenly.
- In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Heat over low heat until hot, but do not bring to a boil.
- Arrange the first layer of potato slices in the dish, slightly overlapping like roof tiles. Pour over some of the hot cream mixture so the potatoes are covered with a thin layer.
- Repeat layering the potatoes and pouring over the cream mixture until you use up all the ingredients. The final layer should be well covered with liquid.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 40 minutes.
- After this time, remove the foil, and if using cheese, sprinkle it over the top. Bake for another 15–20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is golden and slightly crisp.
- After removing from the oven, let the gratin rest for 10–15 minutes so it firms up slightly and is easier to slice.
Storage
Przechowuj w lodówce w formie lub pojemniku, dobrze przykryte. Podgrzewaj w piekarniku 15–20 minut w 160°C. Możesz zamrozić porcje do 1 miesiąca, ale po rozmrożeniu konsystencja będzie nieco bardziej krucha.
This gratin is one of those dishes that feels festive yet is simple enough for a relaxed weekend lunch. It reheats well, so you can make it ahead and finish browning the top just before serving.
