The product is king in the French kitchen, as is the potato, which can be prepared in countless variations and for me represents one of the 5 most royal products.
One of my favourite side dishes or simply as a main course with a fresh salad is the Gratin Dauphinois, which will warm up your soul from the inside.
But there are some small details that make this gratin so unique.
First rule: Gratin Dauphinois will not be gratinated with cheese!!!
Secondly, the gratin mould should be rubbed well with a fresh clove of garlic before!!! buttering it. Rub out the garlic and DO NOT squeeze it!
Thirdly, the first skin that forms on the gratin should be removed after about 45 minutes.
Fourthly, do not use low-fat ingredients.
If you follow those rules , hardly nothing can fail.
You need....
1 garlic clove
about 600 g firm! potatoes
500 ml liquid cream fraiche
400 ml milk
45 g butter
1 level teaspoon of salt
Pepper
Pinch of nutmeg (my very personal addition)
Preheat the oven to 150°C
Rub the gratin tin with garlic and spread butter on it.
Peel and wash the potatoes, then dry them so they are not too wet. Cut the potatoes into thin slices so that you can see through them, place them in a gratin dish.
Prepare the milk-cream mixture, add salt, pepper and some grated nutmeg. Add a ¾ of the mixture on top of the potatoes.
Put it in the oven preheated to 150 °C and when it boils add a few flakes of butter on top.
Place in the oven for another 45 minutes,
remove the skin that has formed on the gratin and stir in the remaining milk-cream mixture with a fork, stirring gently.
Bake again for another hour. At the end of cooking, the gratin should be slightly brown but not crisp.
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