Dauphinoise Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg floury potatoes, sliced 3 mm thick
• 400 ml double cream
• 200 ml whole milk
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• a few sprigs of thyme
• a good grating of nutmeg
• 20 g butter, for the dish
• 80 g gruyere, grated (optional)

Method

1. Infuse the cream

   Warm the cream, milk, garlic, thyme and nutmeg together and season well. Season the liquid, not the layers — salt sprinkled between slices never distributes evenly.

   8 min

2. Simmer the potatoes in it

   Slice the potatoes straight into the pan — do not rinse them — and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring carefully. The starch you would wash away is exactly what thickens the cream into a sauce.

   10 min

3. Layer

   Butter a dish and lay the slices in overlapping layers, pouring the cream over as you go. Press it flat so the liquid comes just to the top layer; potatoes standing proud will dry out and curl.

4. Bake covered, then open

   Cover with foil and bake at 160°C for 45 minutes, then uncover, add the cheese if using, and bake until browned and a knife slides through with no resistance.

   1 h 10 min

5. Rest before serving

   Rest 15 minutes. Straight from the oven it slumps on the spoon; rested, it holds a clean edge.

   15 min