These potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to a special meal! They go great with Coq au Riesling, Roasted Chicken or my famous Rosemary and Garlic Roast Beef. Potatoes + Cream + Cheese. What’s not to love? This dish, in all its cheesy creamy glory, makes the perfect side dish for when you want to impress guests or a special someone! Made popular by Julia Child, this French classic shouldn’t be confused with Pommes Dauphine, which are crispy potato puffs and the subject for a future blog post. Comfort food at its best, this delicious and indulgent Potato Gratin Dauphinois is destined to be at your holiday table or Valentine’s Day dinner. That being said, it is so easy to make that it can certainly make occasional appearances on your everyday table too!
What is Gratin Dauphinois?
Gratin Dauphinois (pronounced “do-fin-WAHZ”) – also known as Pommes de Terre Dauphinoise, Potatoes à la Dauphinoise, Gratin de Pommes à la Dauphinoise, Dauphinoise Potatoes or Potato Dauphinoise – is a French potato dish from the Dauphiné region in south-eastern France. It consists of sliced potatoes that are baked in milk or cream, in a buttered dish. While my recipe calls for (two kinds of) cheese, purists often insist that a true Gratin Dauphinois must not include cheese. If cheese is included, it would technically be called a Gratin Savoyard. You can make it without cheese, if you’re concerned about authenticity, but know that nowadays most chefs use cheese and still call it Dauphinois/Dauphinoise.
Gratin VS Gratin Dauphinois
You might be asking yourself: So what is the difference between a regular Potato Gratin and a Potato Gratin Dauphinois? Are they the same? The difference is that when you make ordinary gratin potatoes, you precook the potatoes before they go in the oven, while in a Potato Gratin Dauphinoise, you use them raw.
Au Gratin VS Scalloped Potatoes
Again, very similar dishes! Their names are often mixed up too, so that’s why it can be confusing. The difference comes down to cheese. While Potatoes Au Gratin are made with cheese, Scalloped Potatoes are not. They are much simpler and not as decadent as gratins. Also, scalloped potato slices tend to be slightly thicker than those of au gratin.
Ingredients
To make Gratin Dauphinois, you will need:
PotatoesCheese – Gruyére is the classic choice, but I like to also add parmesan (preferably Parmigiano Reggiano), for its nuttiness and sharpness.Milk and Cream – You will need both, as the milk by itself won’t be stable enough to stand up the oven temperature and will curdle.GarlicHerbs – I use thyme, rosemary and a bay leaf to flavor the cream!Nutmeg – Freshly grated is always better!Salt and Pepper Butter – For greasing the baking dish.
Which type of potatoes for Gratin Dauphinois?
In France, this dish is usually made with yellow-fleshed potatoes, like Charlotte or Belle de Fontenay. Here in the U.S., I like using Yukon Golds, which are considered an all-purpose variety. They keep their shape, but also absorb the flavor from the cream without turning into mush. You can use Russets, if that’s what you have on hand, but since they are a high-starch variety, they absorb more liquid and don’t hold their shape as well.
How to Make Gratin Dauphinoise
While this side dish is easy to make, it can be a little time consuming to prepare if you don’t have a food processor, as you will have to slice the potatoes by hand. If using a mandolin, take your time and all necessary precautions. I also recommend investing in some cut resistant gloves! It is really important to get the potatoes very thin (about 1/8-inch thick) so they cook properly. Recommended tools and equipment: saucepan with lid, food processor or mandoline, gratin dish. Here’s how I make this Potato Gratin Dauphinois recipe. As always, you will find the printable (and more complete) version of the recipe at the end of this post!
Step 1: Prepare the cream and the potatoes.
Combine the milk, cream, herbs, freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Cook until steaming. Then, remove from heat, cover and let it steep for 15 to 30 minutes. This will infuse lots of flavor into the dish!Slice the potatoes thin using a mandolin. Place the sliced potatoes in the cream.
Step 2: Assemble the gratin dauphinois.
Generously butter a baking dish.Add a layer of the cream.Follow by a layer of sliced potatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper.Add a layer of shredded Gruyere.Repeat until you’ve run out of potatoes. Finish with a layer of parmesan and Gruyere.
Step 3: Bake!
Bake at 350ºF until bubbly and golden brown.Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving, so the cream doesn’t immediately ooze out when you dig in.
What goes with Potato Gratin Dauphinois?
This dish was originally served – to the Duke of Clermont-Tonnerre in 1788 – as a side to a fowl main dish. While in France, it is often served with roasted pork, I personally find that is the perfect side for any main entree, like roast beef, steak, chicken, lamb or fish. Here are a few suggestions:
Rosemary and Garlic Roast BeefPan Seared New York Strip SteakPernil (Roast Pork Shoulder)Herb and Lemon Roasted ChickenRoasted Chicken with 40 Cloves of GarlicGarlic Butter Steak BitesSalmon en Papillote
More Potato Recipes
Creamy Onion and Garlic Mashed PotatoesBlue Cheese Mashed PotatoesPotato GaletteRosti Potatoes
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing from you! Please comment and leave a 5-star rating below. You can also take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #oliviascuisine.
