- Yield: 4-6
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1h 15 min
Potatoes au Gratin
For years I have been trying different recipes for potatoes au gratin or scalloped potatoes. Always looking for that rich and creamy texture and it never really worked out the way I wanted it. Until one day I was watching Jacques Pépin on PBS, dedicating an entire show to potatoes. I forgot most of what he did, but his recipe for potatoes au gratin has stuck and has become the go-to recipe when ever I'm craving this dish.
Pépin says, the recipe is from his own mother and it exists in a couple of varieties depending on how rich you want to go. You can either use all milk (I even made it with 2% milk once and it was still as creamy and rich as I like it) or add heavy cream. You can go without cheese or sprinkle some grated cheese on top (my favorite is Gruyère, but I usually like it without any cheese added).
It makes a fantastic side for steaks, and all kinds of dark meats. But it's also delicious by itself with a little side salad.
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold Potatoes - 1.5lbs
- Whole Milk - 2 cups
- Heavy Cream - 1 cup
- Garlic - 2 - 3 gloves, minced
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Nutmeg - 1/4 tsp
- Optional
- Gruyère - 1/2 cup, grated
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and use either a mandolin or a knife to cut them into thin (~2mm) slices. Do not wash the potatoes, instead put them right into a heavy saucepan.
- Preheat your oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
- Add the milk to the potaotes, stir in garlic and spices and bring to a boil. Use a wooden spoon to stir gently to separate the slices and to make sure nothing is scorching. As the milk comes to a boil it should start to thicken from the potato starch.
- Once the milk has come to a boil, transfer everything into an oven proof dish, I like to use a pretty shallow one to get maximum crust on top. You can arrange the potatoes nicely in the dish or just pour them in, flavor wise there's no difference.
- Top the potatoes with the heavy cream (milk works just as well), sprinkle on the cheese (if using), and put the dish into the oven.
- Bake until the potatoes are tender, most of the liquid is absorbed, and the top is golden and bubbly. That takes about 1 hour.
- Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
