Potato gratin
I learned to make this potato gratin at the Alain Ducasse school in Paris, but not during a course. During a break, while talking with the chef, the topic of a recipe that the French make a lot came up.
Ingredients · Servings 4
- 1 kg of potatoes
- 1 clove of garlic
- A little thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 500g milk
- A pinch of nutmeg
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of ground pepper
- 250g of heavy cream
Method · 1 h 15 min
- Peel the potatoes, wash them, dry them, and slice them into rounds about 3 mm thick. I use my mandoline and they turn out perfect.
- Peel the garlic clove, crush it a little and put it in a saucepan.
- Place the potato slices, pour in the cold milk, add the thyme, bay leaf, ground pepper and nutmeg, and stir well.
- Cook over medium-low heat. It's important not to turn the heat up too high because they'll boil over quickly. They'll be done in about 35-40 minutes. After this time, cover the pot and let them rest for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC, top and bottom heat.
- Grease the walls of an ovenproof tray or small casserole dishes like the ones I used —read the tips—.
- Place a first layer of potatoes, then spoon over some heavy cream, spreading it evenly with a spoon. Add another layer of potatoes, add more heavy cream, and repeat until all the potatoes are in the dish. Strain the milk left over from boiling the potatoes and pour a little into the baking dish or individual ramekins. Don't fill them too full; leave about 2 cm of space at the top, as the milk will boil over in the oven.
- Put them in the oven for about 20 minutes until they are golden brown and look like the photo —read the tips—. Serve immediately.
