when the French won the potato war
Gratin dauphinois is an incredible Thanksgiving (or any holiday) side dish. It’s not the most traditional, and I certainly didn’t grow up eating potatoes this way at my family Thanksgiving feast. It wasn’t until I started making Thanksgiving dinner with my French husband that he suggested this dish in lieu of the classic mashed potatoes. And because I’m not a huge mashed potato lover, and I’ve never really been led astray with French dishes, I decided to give it a try. And let me say, this simple recipe of scalloped potatoes with cream, Dijon, and butter has become an absolute must on my personal Thanksgiving menu.
⟶ the recipe
gratin dauphinois (French potato bake)
ingredients
2 pounds firm potatoes, peeled
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, cut in half
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Pinch of salt
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
40 minutes
Total time
1 hour
6 servings
instructions
Slice the potatoes thinly, into about ⅛-inch-thick slices. Place potatoes in a large Dutch oven and add the milk, cream, nutmeg, mustard, and salt. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until potatoes have softened.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub the two halves of garlic around the inside of a baking dish. Then, spread the butter directly or with a pastry brush around the inside of the dish, making sure to cover completely.
Pour the potato and cream mixture into the dish and spread the potatoes out evenly. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the mixture is golden and bubbling. For a little extra crispiness on the top, turn on the broiler for a couple minutes, making sure not to burn the tops of the potatoes.
Serve immediately, topping with fresh herbs if desired.
⟶ recipe notes
- What really makes this dish is the thinness of the potato slices, so be sure to use a really sharp knife to achieve super fine slices. Alternatively, if you’re feeling confident, you can use a mandoline for the potato slices. Just make sure to be safe, and place a towel in between your hand and the potato to avoid injury!
⟶ modifications
- There isn’t much you can modify in this dish if you want to keep it as a true gratin dauphinois. However, you can certainly add cheese during the final baking stage if you’d like. You can also sub crème fraîche for the heavy cream and play around with the finishing garnish (I usually like chopped parsley or chives)
⟶ make it ahead
- Gratin dauphinois is a great dish to make ahead. After cooking the potatoes and cream, you can assemble everything in the baking dish and refrigerate for 1-2 days until ready to bake. Before popping it in the oven, bring the mixture to room temperature and cover with tightly with foil
- Same thing with storing this dish after you bake it—keep gratin in a tightly sealed container in the fridge, and then throw it in the oven to reheat
