Dauphinoise Potatoes

I've been cooking with potatoes quite a bit these days. That's no accident - potatoes are what we've all been using in class to practice our knife skills. Rather than tossing away perfectly good potato, why not put it to good use? And speaking of class, that's where I learned about dauphinoise potatoes, the delicious dish you see here. It's similar to scalloped or au gratin potatoes, but a bit richer and made specifically using Gruyere cheese. It's fairly simple, doesn't use a ton of ingredients, and is incredibly tasty, so give it a shot!


Difficulty: Relatively Easy
Active Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Prep Time: About 1 hour
Special Equipment: None
Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients:

• 3 large potatoes
• About 2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
• ½ cup heavy or manufacturing cream
• 1 - 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a pie dish or skillet with butter and set aside.

2. Peel and slice your potatoes into thin slices, submerging them in cold water afterward to prevent oxidation.

3. Line the bottom of the pie dish with slices of potato to form a single layer. Add a few slices of garlic, then salt and pepper. Top with some of the Gruyere cheese.

4. Pour in the cream, about ½ cup or enough to coat the bottom of the dish, then repeat step 3 until the entire dish is full. (Do not put garlic on the top layer, though.)

5. Place in the oven and make for about 1 hour, or until the cheese on top is golden brown and the potatoes feel tender when stuck with a fork or toothpick.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.