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France, Europe · Gratin Dauphinois

Slow-Baked Gratin Dauphinois with Thyme-Infused Cream

Cream infused with garlic, thyme and bay, coating 2 mm potato slices shingled in layers, baked low and slow and glazed with crème fraîche.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time1 h 55 min
DifficultyMedium

Method

  1. In a 18 cm pot, combine the milk, cream, most of the garlic crushed with the flat of a knife, the thyme, bay, nutmeg and white pepper. Warm over medium-low heat until the edges just bubble, then turn off the heat, cover and leave to infuse for .

    Add in this stepWhole milk 160 mlDouble/heavy cream 200 mlGarlic (cloves) 1½Thyme (sprigs) 3Bay leaf 1Nutmeg, freshly grated 1 pinchWhite pepper 1 pinch

    medium-low heat

  2. Preheat the oven to 150 °C (oven). Halve the remaining garlic, rub it round the inside of a 20×15 cm baking dish and grease the dish with half the butter.

    Add in this stepGarlic (cloves) ½Butter 7.5 g

    oven

  3. Peel the potatoes and slice them 2 mm thick on a mandoline; always use the hand guard. Do not rinse them. Put them in a large bowl and toss evenly with the salt.

    Add in this stepPotatoes (all-purpose) 500 gSalt 1 tsp

  4. Strain the infused cream over the potatoes and toss gently by hand so every slice is coated. Shingle the slices into the dish in overlapping layers, then pour in the remaining cream until it sits just below the top layer.

  5. Cover with foil and bake (oven) for . Remove the foil, spread over a thin layer of crème fraîche, dot with the rest of the butter and bake for more, until the cream bubbles at the edges, the top is deep golden and a knife slides through to the bottom with no resistance.

    Add in this stepCrème fraîche (or sour cream) 2 tbspButter 7.5 g

    oven

  6. Rest for so it sets properly; this is what lets you cut neat squares with distinct layers.

Cook's tip

Low and slow keeps the cream from splitting and turns the potatoes buttery. For restaurant-neat portions, bake a day ahead, chill, cut, and reheat at 160 °C for 15 minutes. No crème fraîche? A little extra cream poured over works too.

Cooking it at camp

Bake it at home, cool it and carry it in its dish in the cooler; at camp, cut portions and reheat them in a covered pan or Dutch oven over a low flame for 10–15 minutes. Baking from raw potatoes in a Dutch oven takes over an hour and needs careful heat control.