Classic Bistro Style Gratin Dauphinois - French Gratin Potatoes

Name: Classic Bistro Style Gratin Dauphinois - French Gratin Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 4-6 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1360.77 g waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (such as Desiree, Golden Wonder, Maris Piper, Idaho or King Edward); 170.09 g gruyere cheese, grated; 354.89 ml double cream; salt; fresh ground black pepper; 2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed; 2 sprig fresh thyme; 28.34 g butter; cheese, for topping (optional)

Community Pick

Submitted by French Tart

"This classic French potato gratin dish is world famous, and rightly so! I am quite happy to have this as a main meal, with just some crusty bread and a large mixed salad on the side. I have heard that this famous dish was created as a way of encouraging the "Dauphin" (the young prince destined to become King Henri II), to eat up his vegetables, hence the name! Maybe - it is certainly just as popular with children, as it is with adults. Try to slice the potatoes as thinly as possible for the best results. A wonderful accompaniment for all sorts of roast meats, stews, casseroles and poultry. This recipe is not strictly French, using as it does a Swiss cheese."

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photo by The 500 Chef

Ready In:: 1hr 45mins
Ingredients:: 9
Serves:: 4

ingredients

1360.77 g waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (such as Desiree, Golden Wonder, Maris Piper, Idaho or King Edward)
170.09 g gruyere cheese, grated
354.89 ml double cream
salt
fresh ground black pepper
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 sprig fresh thyme
28.34 g butter
cheese, for topping (optional)

directions

Preheat the oven to 300F/150C/gas mark 2.
Take a heavy-bottomed dish or an ovenproof gratin dish (a Le Creuset is ideal - the potatoes tend not to catch), and grease it will with some of the butter.
Layer the potato slices in the dish, slightly overlapping each other, seasoning lightly with the salt and pepper, and sprinkling a liberal amount of cheese on each layer.
Sprinkle cheese on the top of the last layer.
Put the double cream, garlic and sprigs of thyme in a pan and bring to them gently to the boil, then remove the thyme and pour hot cream over the potatoes.
Dot the top of the gratin with the remaining butter and some extra cheese if you wish, and bake for about 1 hr to 1 1/2 hrs, or until the potatoes are soft, and the top is crispy and golden brown.
Serve bubbling hot as a main meal or as an accompaniment.

Questions & Replies

Can these be made in advance, assembled then frozen then cooked? OR partially baked, frozen and the a final cooking at the end? I'd prefer the former, but if the latter, is there a good way to judge the time needed for the second baking?

Rita L.
I have made this several times and it is excellent! But every time I go to make it (about once to twice a year) I struggle with the size of dish to bake in. I do not have a gratin dish, and those seem pretty small for a 3 lb potato recipe anyway. I do think I usually have extra potatoes after using my usual 2 qt. casserole dish. It's high time I clarified! Any help appreciated. Thanks!

s_debeliso

Reviews

It's not often that I'd risk serving an untried dish for Christmas dinner, but as it was French Tart's recipe, no worries. :) It was a superb accompaniment to beef tenderloin! Since we especially love a slightly crispy top on gratins, I used Yukon Gold potatoes that had been left unpeeled. The tender skins browned beautifully. I was a little timid about adding seasonings to each layer for fear it might be too salty. Next time, I'll use a slightly more generous hand. And since the little bit that was left over tasted even better, I'm going to follow KissKiss's lead in future, cooking earlier in the day and then reheating. From everyone's reaction, though, I think we have a new Christmas 'tradition' at our house!

highcotton
These we SO good. I ran out of gruyere for the top layer so I sprinkled with grated parm and it turned out very nice. Thanks so much FT, my wife and I have loved every single recipe of yours we have prepared!

Slim PA
I followed the recipe, but needed more cheese, so I added some white vermont cheddar to the gruyere. The results were amazing! Needed a little more than 1-1/2 hours in the oven for some reason (about 1-3/4 hours to make sure the potatoes were tender). You will not be disappointed with this dish.

mo-fam
This dish was fabulous! I made this for Christmas dinner and I peeled the potatoes and my 12 yr. old son assembled the dish. I made a double recipe and ran out of gruyere and so I subbed in mozarella to top the second batch and it was delicious!

pjka1309
This is honestly the best potato dish i have ever eaten. The look, the smell and the taste is amazing, and always produces "oohs" and "ahhs" when served to our guests.

The Captain

see 32 more reviews

Tweaks

Absolutely delicious, and the only reason for four stars and not five is that the amount of cheese specified is not enough for the quantity of potatoes. I ended up with enough potatoes for a second batch, but had to get more cream and cheese to complete that batch. I used fresh tarragon instead of thyme, and it was just delicious. So, half the quantity of potatoes, probably 10-12 ounces of gruyere, and maybe even a full pint of cream.

kristin6028
So decadent, so good... These were a huge hit at Easter dinner along with Recipe #281177. We substituted creme fraiche for the double cream, and it worked perfect.

kelly in TO
Sinfully delicious! This is my new recipe for au gratin potatoes! I used heavy cream, and sharp cheddar instead of Gruyere (it's what i had). I love thyme, and the thyme in this really makes the dish!

BlueRidgeMama
Delicious and easy to make. I used heavy cream instead of double cream. I made this for someone pregnant, so I couldn't use Gruyere cheese which is unpasterized. I used a Jarlsberg cheese and a mild Red Hoop cheddar cheese, both of which are pasterized. I did use a totatl of about 8-9 ounces of cheese. I used non-stick cooking spray on the casserole dish instead of butter. I also didn't have fresh thyme so I added about 1/2 tsp. dried thyme and did not remove it. I baked the potatoes uncovered for 1 1/2 hours and they were perfectly baked.

aviva

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

French Tart

277

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