A simple, elegant potato gratin with a few variations

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, smashed or minced
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• A pinch or two of nutmeg
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 0.5 tsp of table salt
• 3-4 russet potatoes
• 6 ounces of grated cheese (about 2 cups), see note
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter, softened

Directions

1. In a saucepan, mix the cream, milk, garlic, shallots, nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Let it cool for an hour or so.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Peel the potatoes and slice thinly with a mandolin or food processor. Work quickly to prevent browning.
4. Mix the potato slices with the warm cream mixture.
5. Lightly grease a dutch oven or casserole dish, then arrange the potato slices as you’d like.
6. Bake for an hour with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for another half hour or so. Let it stand a bit before serving.

Notes

• The traditional cheese is Gruyère, but feel free to get creative.
• I use the “thin blade” on the food processor, which is about 1/16 of an inch.
• Fits perfectly in a 5.5 qt dutch oven or 9x13” casserole dish, but scales up or down well. Don’t make it thicker than about 2-ish inches deep, instead split it into multiple dishes if needed.
• Variations that have worked well
  • Smoked sharp cheddar and paprika, omitting the nutmeg and thyme
  • Provolone and rosemary, omitting the nutmeg and thyme