Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin

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There are a few absolute mandatory sides that I must order if I’m at a great Steak Restaurant or French Bistro. One of those is the famous French Dish – Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin. Multiple layers of thinly sliced Potatoes, smothered in a velvety sauce of rich Heavy Cream, Shallots, and a mixture of cheese. It’s a heavenly dish. Decadent, rich, and absolutely delicious!

Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin, otherwise known as Potatoes Dauphinoise is a quintessentially French dish. There is no such thing as too much richness in this beautiful dish that has graced dinner tables of French Brasseries for decades. It is a dish with a depth of flavor that appears quite complex, however surprisingly is a very simple dish to create at home. All it requires is some basic ingredients, and a little bit of patience

You always know when Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin is Being Cooked by how Amazing they Smell in the Oven

The smell of Potatoes au Gratin in the Oven is truly something to marvel at in the cooking world. Like those classic smells such as freshly shaved Truffles, or Garlic being fried with Onions and Olive Oil, the scent of the Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin is phenomenal. Of course, eating the dish is the ultimate reward, but cooking this dish is such a pleasure by simply how amazing it smells while being cooked. The challenge with this of course is you’ll want to eat it before it’s ready! Again, patience is the key when cooking this dish!

We highly recommend using a Mandoline to slice up the Potatoes

One of the essential kitchen gadgets for making this dish is a Mandoline. The super sharp cutting device which allows you to slice up razor thin slices of Potatoes in an instant is an essentially when making Potatoes au Gratin

Thinly sliced Potatoes are a hallmark of this dish. The thinner you can get the Potato slices, the better overall texture you’ll get in the final dish. This is meant to be a creamy dish, so if you cut your Potatoes too thick they’ll end up with a bit of a chewy texture once cooked. The thin slices of Potatoes end up coming out super silky as they absorb all that wonderful creamy sauce

Using a Mandoline will ensure each slice of Potato is the same thickness. This is also a very important step. Even having some Potatoes cut a few mm’s larger than others will completely alter the cook time. So, set the Mandoline to a super-fine slice for the best result

We must stress however, be very careful when cutting Potatoes with a Mandoline! The blade is ridiculously sharp, and to effectively slice the Potatoes in one swipe, you do need to apply a little bit of force. Be sure to keep your fingers well clear of the blade and always hold the Potato with the handle that comes along with the Mandoline. Safety first!

The Cooking time for Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin varies considerably depending on the portion size

We cannot overstate enough how varied the cooking time for this recipe is. The density of the dish with the many layers of thin Potatoes soaked in all that Heavy Cream means that it will take time to cook. If you are preparing a larger portion to serve family style (say, in a larger baking dish) this recipe could take up to 3 hours to cook. This is totally ok of course, and we’ve enjoyed this recipe many times from a large bake. Just be prepared to wait a lot longer

We would highly recommend just checking the consistency of the Potatoes every 30 minutes or so to see if they are fully cooked through. You can tell if the dish is cooked completely by simply pushing a knife into the center of the dish. If there is no resistance as you cut into the Potatoes au Gratin then the Potatoes are lovely and tender; ready to eat!

Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 medium sized Potatoes
• 2 Shallots
• 4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 2 tbsp. Thyme Leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• ½ cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
• ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Salt and Pepper
  
  

Instructions

1. Begin by slicing the Potatoes and Shallots as thin as you can. This will be a much easier process if you have a mandoline, however it is not necessary. Just be careful slicing as we do want the slices to be as thin as possible
2.  Add the Cream, Milk, Mustard, Thyme, 1 tsp of Salt, 1 tsp. Pepper into a bowl and whisk to combine, then add the Parmesan and Cheddar Cheese
3. Gently mix the Potato and Shallot slices through the mixture and leave to rest for 10 minutes
4. Assemble your Potatoes au Gratin by layering the Potato slices evenly in small Ramekins. Ensure the Potatoes slightly overlap with each other. Also, ensure that each layer has an even distribution of Potato, Cheese, and Shallots
5. Continue layering until you reach the top of the baking dish. Finish by topping up with a little bit of liquid, then cover with Aluminum Foil and bake for 2.5 hour in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees
   
   

Note: The cooking time does vary significantly if you are using larger baking containers. We highly recommend making smaller, individual portions in small baking trays or Ramekins

Instructions Continued

6. After 1 hour, remove the foil and continue to cook for another 30 minutes to get a lovely golden-brown topping to the Potatoes au Gratin
7. Check Potatoes are done by piercing with a knife. If there is a lot of resistance to the knife, continue to cook in 15-minute increments until done
8. Remove from oven and let sit to cool for 15 – 20 minutes before serving as this is a very hot dish!
   
   

There you have it. A wonderfully delicious and Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin dish to enjoy. As this is a classic French dish we highly recommend pairing this with a beautifully cooked Steak to truly transport you to a classic French Brasserie. Check out our amazing Reverse Seared Ribeye Steak recipe which will pair perfectly with this tasty side dish

Happy Cooking!