A gratin usually means that a dish, whether of potatoes, a vegetable or perhaps leftover meat, has been baked with a topping of bread crumbs or cheese and then browned. But it can also be a dish, probably one vegetable, that has in cream and has been allowed to brown and form a crust. Au gratin means with bread crumbs or grated cheese; in French "le gratin" means crust and the verb "gratiner" means to brown, usually under a broiler or salamander. Gratin Dauphinois is a dish from the Dauphiné, a province in southeastern France near the Italian border.
Essentials of Gratin Dauphinois
Although there are many versions, three things are essential to any gratin Dauphinois: uniformly sliced, non-mealy potatoes; a coating of garlic on the pan; and the right-size casserole for the right oven temperature. It usually consists of potatoes and cream, or potatoes and milk, topped with buttered bread crumbs or grated cheese---often Gruyère, and it is commonly seasoned with nutmeg in addition to salt and black or white pepper.
The Classic Recipe
French chef and cooking instructor Madeleine Kamman, in her "New Making of a Cook," offers a rich, cream-based recipe. First, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Rub a small 1 1/2-quart baking dish, preferably earthenware, with a slice of fresh garlic. Discard the garlic. Grease the inside of the dish with 2 tablespoons softened butter (it will make a thick coating). In a separate bowl place 4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced, plus salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Toss the potatoes and seasonings together, then layer the potatoes in the . Pour on 1 1/2 to 2 cups heavy cream. Shake the dish back and forth to evenly distribute the cream over the potatoes. Bake about 1 1/2 hours. A brown crust will form during baking, which you can break through several times until the potatoes are almost done. The last time the crust forms, leave it.
Lighter Gratin Dauphinois
Classic gratin Dauphinois is rich and filling. Julia Child's version, from the "French Chef Cookbook," is a little lighter. It involves mixing 2 pounds of peeled, sliced potatoes with 1 cup of milk that has been briefly boiled with 1 clove of mashed garlic and some salt and pepper. Spoon all this into a casserole, dot with 3 to 4 tablespoons of butter, and bake in a 425-degree F oven for about 25 minutes. A hotter oven will mean a shorter baking time. And, whatever version you choose, be sure your baking dish is small enough for the potatoes to fit snugly in it so that they will be bathed in liquid throughout the baking time.
Is This Scalloped Potatoes?
Gratin Dauphinois is not much different from scalloped potatoes, except that scalloped potatoes do not normally include garlic or cheese. And, despite its French name, those New World potatoes make it very American.
What Gratin Dauphinois Is Not
Don't confuse gratin Dauphinois with elaborate potatoes Dauphiné, Kamman warns. In this dish, baked potato pulp is mixed into a dough of broth, butter, flour, and egg, then the mixture is deep-fried like small doughnuts. It's good, but the cream-laden gratin is much easier.
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