Gratin Dauphinois
(Serves 6)
Ingredients
750 g potatoes (3-4 large baking potatoes should do)
1 clove garlic
200 ml cream (a little over ¾ cup)
50 g Gruyère cheese (1.7 ounces, about 2/3 cup)
salt and white pepper
grated nutmeg
Heat oven to 350° F.
Peel potatoes. Keep peeled potatoes in a bowl of water (so they don’t turn brown).
In a medium saucepan, heat cream and whole, peeled garlic clove to near-boil (so little bubbles appear on edges of pan. If you’re using an electric stovetop, heat should be on medium-high).
While cream and garlic are heating, slice potatoes thinly (use a mandolin if you have one). Potatoes should be the width of a thick potato chip; you don’t want them too thick. Keep slices in water.
Season heated cream with salt, white pepper, and grated nutmeg (to taste; you only need a bit of nutmeg).
Drain potato slices well, and shake off extra water. Add slices to heated cream and garlic clove, and bring to near-boil again. Cook for 3 minutes; potatoes should still be firm. (You’re not cooking here so much as blanching; the cream will absorb some of the potatoes’ starch, so ingredients will stick together better.)
Remove garlic clove. (Or, if you like garlicky dishes, smash the garlic and add back in.)
Move the potato mix to a baking or corningware dish (we used an oval one, about 5 x 7, but a similar rectangular dish would be fine. Greasing the dish doesn’t really matter, but you can spray with Pam).
Bake on a baking tray at 350° F for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from oven, add grated Gruyère cheese evenly on top, and bake for another 15 minutes. Right before serving, put under broiler briefly until cheese is golden and bubbly.
Serve.
Wait a few hours, then go running.