Potato Gratin

Name: Potato Gratin
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 5 tbsp. butter; 2 cloves garlic; Salt; 6 large waxy potatoes (about 2½ pounds), such as red bliss, peeled and sliced about 1/8" thick; 2 cups half-and-half; Freshly ground black pepper; Fresh nutmeg; 1 cup grated gruyère

Serves
serves 6

VANESSA REES

One of the greatest comfort foods we know: a classic gratin dauphinois, or scalloped potatoes. This recipe appeared in "Gratin Made Easy," a December 2006 article by executive food editor Todd Coleman.

Ingredients

5 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic
Salt
6 large waxy potatoes (about 2½ pounds), such as red bliss, peeled and sliced about 1/8" thick
2 cups half-and-half
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh nutmeg
1 cup grated gruyère

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Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°. Rub the inside of an 8" × 8" baking dish with 1 tbsp. of the butter. Smash garlic with the side of a knife and sprinkle generously with salt. Chop and scrape the garlic into a mushy paste.

Step 2

Combine garlic paste, potatoes, half-and-half, and remaining 4 tbsp. butter (cut into ½" pieces) in a pot; stir. Season with salt and pepper and taste the creamy liquid—it should be seasoned generously. Grate in a hint of nutmeg. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat while stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon. After 8–10 minutes the potatoes will be a little tender, and their starch will have thickened the liquid considerably.

Step 3

Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish; smooth the top as much as possible. Cover the gratin with gruyère and bake until deeply golden brown, about 20–30 minutes. Let gratin cool and set a little before serving.