By tonight, we will have served 24 trays of Dauphinoise potatoes in the last week. My mandolin has never seen such intense action. The Sainsbury’s delivery guy frowned when he saw me ordering 16 cans of double cream and 20kg of Maris Pipers. “So, do you also do some cooking?”
Er, yes, that’s right. To be exact, it’s for 80 people. In hindsight, I may have been foolish to take on two large catering jobs within a week, but I loved the challenge, especially when it came to serving up tray after tray of bubbly, creamy fries. I like challenges.
You’d think she’d have had enough of it, but somehow, even after all those slices, I still managed to eat one tonight. I think Dauphinoise might be my desert island potato. That’s what happens to garlic when you boil it in lots of cream. The garlic will lose its harshness and become beautifully sweet.
I like to include a generous amount of freshly grated nutmeg and a few bay leaves torn from the sturdy little tree outside my kitchen door. If you give it enough time, simply buttering a plate, simmering some cream, and layering it with potato slices can be very meditative.
It’s the perfect winter accompaniment (last week’s meal I served it with slow-roasted lamb shoulder; tonight I’ll serve it with soggy beef shank), but add a little cheese to give it some weight. I think it would make a great main dish if you add some flair to it. You can also add any hard cheese you have on hand. I kept it simple, like what I had, with a little pre-grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with a delicious bitter leaf salad, with lots of mustard and perhaps some apple cider vinegar in the dressing.
timing
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes
service
3 people on the main, 5 on the sides
material
- double cream 500ml
- 50g unsalted butter, a little more for greasing
- bay leaves
- Approximately 1/3 freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 cloves of garlic (beat and peel)
- 5 large potatoes (I used Maris Pipers this time)
- 50g grated Parmesan cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180℃/gas. Five.
- First, apply the cream. Pour it into a saucepan and add the butter, bay leaf (you’ll need to tear it halfway down the stem to bring out more flavor), grated nutmeg, a clove of garlic, and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, then turn off the heat and let stand while you sort the potatoes.
- Peel the potatoes and use a mandolin to slice them. If you don’t have a knife, use a very sharp knife and be careful to slice it as thinly as possible.
- Grease the tin you are using with butter.
- Place the first layer of potatoes on the bottom of the mold. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese and put on the next layer. Continue this process until you run out of potatoes. Leave the top layer without cheese. You’ll want some leftover cheese for topping.
- Pour the cream over the potatoes. It looks like there’s a lot, but it gradually falls off. Requires a lot of liquid. Place the garlic on top. After the dauphinois is finished baking, it will taste amazing. Remove bay leaves.
- Place a square of baking paper on a plate and cover with foil. (The paper only stops the top layer from sticking to the foil). Cook for 1 hour or until potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife.
- Peel off the foil and paper. Increase heat to 200°C/gas. 6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and return to the oven for about 6 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving, as it may firm up a bit.