French Dauphinoise Potatoes – Creamy, Cheesy and Indulgent
French Dauphinoise Potatoes – Creamy, Cheesy and Indulgent
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Delicious and Indulgent French Potato Side
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Dauphinoise Potatoes are world famous and for good reason. What’s not to love about thinly sliced potatoes oven baked in milk, cream and topped with lots of melty delicious cheese – Potato lovers gather!
Celebrating French Food
This month we are celebrating a different cuisine every week at Chilli & Life. Last week we celebrated Nigerian cuisine due to my heritage. This week it is all about French cuisine.
I’ve been living in France for nearly 6 months now and I have no regrets! Its a great country and the food is simply divine. It is favoured and eaten all over the world for good reason and even though little to no spice is used they make up for it in butter! 😀
Today is the second of 3 recipes I will post this week with a Food for Thought post dropping on Sunday!
What are Dauphinoise Potatoes?
Dauphinoise Potatoes or ‘Gratin Dauphinoise‘ in French, are sliced potatoes covered in a creamy milk sauce and baked in the oven low and slow.
Some purists will insist that Dauphinoise Potatoes do not include cheese. However, many French recipes call for the use of cheese and even eggs!
Gratin Dauphinois is actually rather easy to make and is made with thinly sliced potatoes and cream sauce made from milk, cream, garlic and nutmeg. The potatoes are layered into a buttered dish and finished off with the well known and loved French cheese Gruyère.
What Do I Need?
For my recipe you will need all the classic ingredients and a little extra because I’m all about making food taste good and there is always room for adjustments within reason!
- Potatoes – My go to potato for these potatoes are maris piper or yukon gold for my US readers. I have yet to learn the french potato varieties but potatoes are often sold in bags and labelled according to how to cook them. Be sure to pick up one that says “gratin” on them.
- Milk – Use good quality organic whole milk. I always like to use whole jersey milk as its rich, nutritious and super creamy.
- Single Cream – You will also need some single cream to make the sauce even creamier – YUM!
- Nutmeg – This unique spice pairs beautifully with cream and potatoes. Opt for whole nutmeg and grate fresh. It provides a fresher and more intense flavour.
- Garlic – The traditional recipe does not use garlic but I add 1 large clove, just enough to add a mild flavour. If you are a fan of garlic definitely opt for this adjustment.
- Gruyere – The traditional Swiss French cheese used for Dauphinoise Potatoes. Its mild and nutty and melts beautifully.
- Mature Cheddar – The is very non traditional and the English in me but trust me the sharpness of the cheddar is a welcome addition and adds a beautiful sharpness to the creamy potatoes.
- Salt, Black Pepper and White Pepper – Season with this classic combination.
Tips & Tricks –
- Use a madeleine to slice your potatoes extra fine and evenly.
- Cook the Dauphinoise Potatoes low and slow for best results. I cook mine for 2 hours 30 minutes at 160 C.
- Seasoning is very important, the dish can be easily over salted. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to each layer as you go, as well as lightly seasoning the milk sauce in line with the recipe below.
- Stick to the classic seasonings used. There is no need for extra seasoning or spicing up, it is best served authentically.
- Take your time when layering the potatoes and pour some milk sauce after each layer of potato (see images below).
How to Make Dauphinoise Potatoes
Simply follow the easy step by step photos below. It’s as simple as:
Potato > Cream Sauce > Sprinkle of Cheese > Season > Repeat!
Dauphinoise Potatoes Serving Suggestions –
These yummy Dauphinoise Potatoes are perfect with any kind of protein. A super indulgent side guaranteed to put a smile on every person’s face at the table! Creamy, cheesy, carby goodness!
Coq au Vin is a rich chicken casserole in red wine and pairs beautifully with these creamy indulgent potatoes.
Coq au Vin Blanc is pretty much the same as Coq au Vin instead the chicken is cooked in white wine. A very popular New Years Eve meal in France. My recipe drops on Wednesday so be sure to check back then!
A similar French combination is Beef Bourguignon, another recipe which braises beef in red wine. Rich and savoury and stunning with Dauphinoise Potatoes.
French Dauphinoise Potatoes
Equipment
- Mandolin
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- pyrex or oven dish
- Blender or whisk
- Fine Grater
- Cheese grater
Ingredients
Cream Sauce
- 400 ml whole milk
- 200 ml single cream
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- pinch white pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
Potatoes
- 200 g potatoes
- 200 g gruyere
- 100 g mature cheddar
- salt and pepper see recipe below
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 160°C.
- Add all the cream sauce ingredients to a bowl or blender cup and whisk or blend until smooth.
- Using a mandolin finely slice your potatoes into about 2 inch thickness slices and set aside.
- Butter your oven dish generously and rub all over with a chopped piece of garlic.
- Start your first layer with potatoes, lay them flat overlapping each other to cover the entire area of the dish, then add a little cream sauce to cover the layer.
- Then season the layer with a pinch of salt and black pepper and add a small sprinkle of cheese.
- Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you have enough layers or have filled the dish.
- Cover the potatoes with foil and place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 2 hours 15 minutes at 160°C.
- After the times up check the potatoes and if done to your liking remove the foil and top with the remaining cheese about 200 grams and put back in the oven for 15 minutes at 200°C.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving!
Notes
- Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes for a consistent thickness and size for even cooking.
- Buy whole cheese and grate yourself. Already grated cheese has additives that stop the cheese melting in that amazing glossy way.
- Season each layer after pouring the cream to keep the seasoning in the right layer.
- Season each layer with just a pinch of salt and black pepper. Do not over do it.
- Making the dish for a dinner party? Make it ahead by completing steps 1-8 and remove from the oven and leave the foil on. Simply complete the final steps before serving.
Did you try these Dauphinoise Potatoes?
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m here to help! If you loved this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment and rating below! Let me know how it turned out for you and share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at @chilliandlife and hashtag it #chilliandlife ! I’ll be sure to share it!
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