Make this the next time you bake a ham or throw a nice piece of meat on the grill. Potatoes and cream. Oh, and butter. It would be perfect for Easter. (I know what you’re wondering…doesn’t “gratin” mean cheese? Nope. Not the French way.)
Thank you Kathie Alex from Cooking with Friends in France, a culinary program I had the pleasure of attending in 2001 at La Pitchoune, Julia Childs’ home in the South of France.
Potato Gratin
adapted from Kathie Alex and New Menus from Simca's Cuisine by Simone Beck
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 6 medium new potatoes red or Yukon gold are nice, 3 pounds
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- several grinds of black pepper
- freshly grated nutmeg, less than ⅛ teaspoon
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced and mashed
- 1 tbsp parsley leaves, chopped optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400° F. Pour milk and cream into large saucepan. Peel and slice the potatoes about ¼-inch thick. Add to milk+cream. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Slowly bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. (Keep an eye on it, this is not the time to multi-task or it will boil over and make a big mess!)
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Butter a baking dish approximately 6" x 12" x 2", using about 2 tablespoons of the butter, then sprinkle with half of the garlic. Using a slotted spoon, transfer half of the potato slices into the baking dish, making an even layer. Sprinkle with remaining garlic and pour in the remaining milk+cream. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the milk is absorbed. Dot with remaining butter and return to the oven to brown for 5–10 minutes. Sprinkle with minced parsley and serve.
