Potato Dauphinoise

Classic Potato Dauphinoise (if you want to sound fancy) or plain old potato bake, a comforting dish best made if you have a bit of time on your hands. If you are like me that believe in a 80/20 approach to live then indulge and enjoy, especially if you can get your hands on some good cream & creme fraiche.

It is rich, so best served alongside a simple affair of some grilled or treat the dish as the main and serve with some steamed greens or a big crunchy salad.

Even better the next day, just reheat gently.

Serves 6

a large deep ovenproof casserole

mandolin if you have one

• 5 medium potatoes (1/1.2 kg)
• 1 onion (130g)
• 30g butter
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 4 sprigs of thyme, leaves only (opt)
• 300ml cream
• 100g creme fraiche
• 400ml milk
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt & pepper

1. Heat the oven to 170c.
2. Wash and peel the potatoes, then slice as thinly as possible (using a mandolin if you have one)
3. Halve, peel and thinly slice the onion.
4. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion cover and cook on a low heat until soft, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes until fragrant, followed by the sliced potatoes.
6. Add the cream, creme fraiche, milk, nutmeg and thyme. The liquid needs to cover the potatoes, if not add a little more cream or milk.  Bring to a simmer for 10/15 minutes until the potatoes begin to soften, release their starch and the cream begins to thicken, stirring often.
7. Transfer to a buttered or oiled ovenproof dish, spreading the potatoes into an even layer. Bake in the oven for 1-1/2 hours or until soft and golden on top, KEY the slower the cooking the better the dish.

This recipe is adapted from Leiths How to Cook, my textbook when I attended Leiths.