About Those Potatoes

OK...I spelled it wrong in yesterday's journal entry...shame on Me! It's Dauphinoise. And, the real true name for the dish is Gratin Dauphinoise. The name gratin dauphinois refers to the Dauphine' region of France, where this method of preparing potatoes is a specialty. The ingredients composing a typical gratin dauphinois are thinly sliced and layered potatoes and cream cooked in a buttered dish rubbed with garlic^.

The link below is to the BBC TV cooking section. It is a video showing how to make Dauphinoise Potatoes. That being said, I make mine in a much easier way. I offer the video because the chef is adorable and he sounds almost exactly like my husband. My recipe follows :

www.bbc.co.uk/food/get_cooking/recipes/100.shtml

Dana's Dauphinoise Potatoes

Serves 6

2.5 pounds potatoes (6 very large - I use Yukon Gold)

3-5 cloves finely diced fresh garlic

butter for gratin/casserole dish

half and half or light cream

salt and pepper

nutmeg

shredded cheese, Swiss, Gueyere, etc (OPTIONAL)

Peel potatoes and slice (unlike the BBC chef, I slice mine about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick. This keeps the slices firm and from mooshing up)

Put potato slices in large sauce pan and just cover with cream or milk. Add nutmeg, about 1 Tablespoon

Bring cream to gentle boil and cook potatoes for 10 - 15 minutes, just until slightly done but still firm

In the mean time, brush the casserole dish with softened butter. Sprinkle with the diced garlic

Remove potatoes from cream using slotted spoon and place in gratin

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and shredded cheese

Pour cooking cream over to almost cover. Do not completely cover potatoes, but bring cream up sides of potatoes. Top with a bit more cheese and add a couple of tablespoons of cream on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

The reason I love these potatoes more than American Scalloped Potatoes is that it is so much easier than making the traditional white sauce (bechamel). In this recipe, by pre-cooking the potatoes in the cream before baking, the starch from the potatoes is the natural thickening agent for the sauce. Also, these are just as rich, tastier and less fattening.