Todd picked up a Rotisserie Chicken at Costco the other day, so all I had to do was provide some side dishes to go along with it. I love roast chicken, and I especially love the Rotisserie ones. They are so tender and flavourful.
I knew he was going to be bringing one home, so I put together a baking dish of Dauphinoise Potatoes while he was out so it would be ready to eat when he got home.
Dauphinoise Potatoes, it sounds much fancier and elegant than it is. Its merely a fancy type of Scalloped Potatoes, but a whole lot easier to put together.
The most labor intensive part of making these is the peeling and cutting of the potatoes. If you have a mandolin or vegetables slicer this gets a whole lot easier! I use this Essential 5-in-1 Vegetable Slicer/shredder from MyKtchn. It does a fabulous job and has a handy bowl that the sliced vegetables go into as you slice them, keeping the mess all in one place.
Once you have the potatoes peeled and sliced, the rest is a doddle! You simply layer them in a buttered baking dish. I like to run a clove of garlic around the dish after I have buttered it, which helps to impart a light garlic flavor.
The potato slices themselves are seasoned with grated nutmeg, sea salt and white pepper. You could use black pepper if that is all you have. I use white because I like the flavor of it and it doesn't leave unattractive black smudges in the sauce like black pepper can sometimes do.
Once the seasoned potatoes are all in the baking dish, you pour a mixture of milk and cream over top. Yes, I know . . . in equal parts . . . rich, but oh so tasty.
A final scattering of grated cheese on top and a dotting of butter and the dish is ready to cover with foil and pop into the oven. I do place it on a baking tray, just in case the milk mixture bubbles up and overflows.
You can use grated Gruyere or Cheddar Cheese, or a mixture of both. They are both delicious.
As the potatoes cook, they absorb the cream and milk, and what doesn't get absorbed thickens into a luscious sauce coating them. Rich but delicious. It takes about an hour or so, depending on how thick your potato slices are.
A final flash under the grill/broiler once the potatoes are knife tender finishes the dish off perfectly. These are potatoes that go well with just about anything. They are also an excellent side dish for entertaining!
Yield: 4Author: Marie Rayner
Dauphinoise Potatoes
prep time: 15 minscook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 hours and 15 minsNot for the faint hearted, this luscious potato dish never fails to please.ingredients:
- 3 1/2 pounds floury potatoes (something like a russet or a Maris Piper)
- butter
- 1 fat clove garlic, peeled
- 950ml whole milk (4 cups)
- 950ml heavy cream (4 cups)
- 85g grated cheese (3 ounces) (Gruyere or cheddar)
- grated nutmeg, fine sea salt & white pepper
instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a large, shallow ovenproof dish large enough to hold the potatoes in one layer and then run the cut side of a piece of garlic around it.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/8 inch slices. Add them to the baking dish, seasoning with salt, white pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.
- Whisk together the milk and the cream. Pour over the potato slices to cover. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and dot with butter. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for one hour, until the potatoes test tender with the tip of a knife. Remove the foil and then flash under the grill/broiler until golden brown. Serve hot.
A tasty variation of this classic dish can be made by infusing the milk and cream mixture with a few sprigs of rosemary and a couple of bruised garlic cloves. Simply add to the mixture and heat just to the boil, then set aside to cool for about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the the rosemary and garlic cloves. Season generously with salt and white pepper before using. Delicious!
