Rosemary Gratin Dauphinoise
Gratin Dauphinois is an absolutely delicious, absolutely decadent potato dish that will knock everyone’s socks off at your next vanlife gathering. Thinly sliced potatoes baked in rosemary-infused cream and topped with melted cheese, it is good enough to be a main course, but is even better alongside a roast chicken and some fresh vegetables.
This dish comes from the Dauphin region of southeastern France, which is known for many gratin-style dishes. Some will argue that the addition of cheese disqualifies this as a gratin dauphinois, but most recipes these days include at least a bit on the top. How can you resist?
A mandoline will come in quite handy for this recipe, if you have one. If not, just try to slice your potatoes thinly and evenly. The potatoes are put into the pan mostly raw, so you want to make sure they are of relatively even thickness to ensure they bake evenly.
Rosemary Gratin Dauphinoise
Ingredients:
3 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ⅛” rounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups cream
1.5 cups whole milk
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 sprigs rosemary
1 cup grated swiss or gruyere cheese
Directions:
Peel the potatoes and slice them into ⅛” rounds. This is the kind of task that will make you so happy to have that mandoline tucked away.
Add the cream, milk, sour cream, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper to a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. When this begins to bubble, add the potatoes, return to a simmer, and cook at this level for around 10 minutes.
After simmering for 10 minutes, remove the pan from heat, and layer your potatoes in a large baking dish. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs, and pour the remaining cream over the potatoes. Top the potatoes with 1 cup of grated swiss or gruyere.
Put the dish into the oven. Or, if you are like us and don’t have an oven, heat a large cast iron pot over high heat until the lid is too hot to touch for more than a second or two. Place a wire cooling rack in the bottom, add your baking dish full of potatoes, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to medium. If you have a stove thermometer, stick it to the side of your pot. You want it to be around 400 degrees.
Bake your potatoes at 400 for around 35-40 minutes, until they are fork-tender and the cheese on top is nicely melted.
Allow to cool for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Related Recipes: