Gratin Dauphinois

Bonne fête! After missing last year, it's great to be back for another Bastille Day post. Gratin Dauphinois is a rather simple dish compared to what we often think of with French cuisine, but it's no less delicious for it. The best part is perhaps how easy it is to make. This particular recipe is adapted from one I found in Jacques Pépin's Essential Pépin, scaled down slightly to the amount of potatoes I had on hand. The dish gets its name from the Dauphiné region of southeastern France, where it originates. This is a part of France I know very little about. Some quick research tells me it was the site of the Day of the Tiles, a series of riots in Grenoble (the capital of Dauphiné), considered by some to be the start of the French Revolution. 

Grain Dauphinois reminds me quite a bit of scalloped potatoes, which I posted thirteen years ago and have not made again since. The main difference is the strong garlic flavor here - grating the garlic on a microplane really brings it out. As far as the potatoes themselves go, I did not peel them, but that's certainly an option. Pépin points out that it is important not to otherwise scrub or rinse the cut potatoes because the starch from the potatoes themselves is what thickens the liquid. There is no flour or any other thickener in the dish. There is some debate over the use of cheese. My cursory research points out that traditionally, it is not included, but that many recipes do use it, such as Escoffier himself. Gruyère is probably best, though I used a Sweet Swiss from Fair Oaks Farms that I picked up on our last drive through Indiana. This was also a good excuse to use the nice copper gratin pan seen the the photo, but any small casserole dish will do the job.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 1/4 cup whole milk
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. (approx.) black pepper
• 3/4 cup cream
• Grated Swiss cheese (optional; Gruyère or similar)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F or 350 with convection. 

Scrub the potatoes and slice to 1/4 inch thick. I used the slicing attachment on a food processor to get this done quickly and evenly. Combine potatoes, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan or saucier and bring to a boil. Stir frequently as the bottom is likely to scorch.

Transfer the potato mixture to a gratin pan or other baking dish. Spread out the potatoes somewhat evenly. Pour the cream over the top and sprinkle the cheese on, if using. Transfer to the oven on top of a sheet pan to catch any drips. Bake for one hour and then let stand for 30 more minutes out of the oven. The liquid should have mostly absorbed by this point.