French Cooking Food

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 mn
Cooking time: 35 mn

Ingredients :

• 2 ¼ lb new potatoes
  
• 1 ½ cups light cream
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 ½ cups milk
• nutmeg
• 1 garlic clove

Peel the potatoes and wash them. If you really want to do it traditionally; you wont wash the potatoes with water but wipe them with a kitchen towel. Cut the potatoes into disks - thin ones. Lay them onto a clean kitchen towel. Season with about 2 or 3 teaspoons of salt and pepper according to your taste.

Rub the potatoes with your hand to spread the salt and pepper.

Into a pan bring to the boil the milk and the crushed garlic clove. When it is done, add the potatoes, lowering the heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes but because the milk can boil over; keep it on a low heat.  

Add the light cream and a pinch of ground nutmeg (don't be afraid to be generous !). Cook for approximately 15 minutes on a low heat. Stir regularly to prevent the cream and potatoes from sticking.

After this step, mix all the ingredients carefully : the potatoes can crush easily because they are nearly done.The 'gratin' is nearly finished at that point.

Preheat your oven. Pour the potatoes into a greased dish, cover the potatoes with a few knobs of butter. Place this dish in a larger dish and half-fill this larger dish with water, making sure it does not overflow into the potatoes dish - this process is called 'bain-marie'.

Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the 'gratin' turns onto a lovely golden color.

Top tips :

- Try to sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the 'gratin' before cooking it in the oven.
- The 'gratin daupinois' is better if you wait for a few minutes before tasting it.