no. 8 | let's make: gratin dauphinois
Move over, mashed potatoes. You'll be the winner of your Thanksgiving potluck with this simple, French classic.
As far as “recipes from the vault” go, this one happens to be my all-time favorite. The vault in question? My mom’s 25-year old recipe binder, filled to the brim with magazine clippings, print-outs, and hand-written index cards from family members. It’s truly the (slightly illegible) treasure trove. I’ve been eating this dish for Thanksgiving since I learned how to walk. Aside from my nostalgia-induced bias, I genuinely think this dish is the winner of all potato dishes (friends and family who have tried it can attest similarly). The irony of this dish being my mom’s Thanksgiving calling card is the fact that, as a German immigrant, she does not traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving (nobody in her side of the family does). So naturally, she had to pull out a French recipe to replace what would be mashed potatoes, on the table (and I’m not mad about it).
This recipe is the poster child for “less is more,” and with the sausage stuffing and caramelized onion gravy of it all, I think something delicate and simple is necessary. The creamy, caramelized potatoes are accented by hints of nutmeg and garlic, the texture simply melting in your mouth. Does the recipe use half a stick of butter and a cup of heavy cream? Yes. Do we care? No. This isn’t your everyday recipe, rather, a once-a-year Thanksgiving indulgence (for context, my mom calls it “heart attack on a plate”). I know you all have family gatherings and/or friends-givings coming up, so do yourself a favor and try this one out. It’s much less effort than boiling and ricing potatoes all afternoon, and the accolades you’ll receive for showing up with this will permanently stamp it into your Thanksgiving roster.
Let’s get into it.
Ingredients
4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick), softened at room temperature
3 large Yukon gold potatoes
1 cup milk
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 nutmeg, freshly grated (or approx. 1 tsp ground nutmeg)
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch fresh sage
1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Pull your butter out of the fridge and let it soften at room temperature. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Wash your potatoes. Alternatively, you can peel them, but this is optional–I don't feel that the skin-on impacts this recipe. Using a mandolin, at about 1/8in thick setting, slice your potatoes into a bowl.
Notes: Do NOT rinse the potatoes after they have been sliced. The surface starch is required to preserve the texture of this dish.
Crush your whole garlic cloves with the flattened side of your chef’s knife. Add your milk, salt, ground white pepper, freshly grated or ground nutmeg, crushed garlic cloves, and sage into a saucepan. Heat on low, gradually stirring.
In the meantime, use half of your softened butter to coat the surface of a gratin or baking dish. Once coated, begin layering the potatoes evenly in the dish, continuing to layer until you've reached about 2 inches of thickness.
Notes: I used a Staub Enameled Cast Iron Oval Gratin with Lid, but you can use most baking dishes (this recipe is more about the height of the layers). I would stray away from anything larger than 14 x 14. Additionally, this can be made in individual ramekins. If you are planning on this, I recommend using ones similar to this size for greater surface area, and applying the same practice in Step 4, above (only layering potatoes to about 2in thick). You will then divide the liquid (Steps 5 and 7) evenly across all ramekins.
Once the milk is hot (right before boiling), remove the sage bundle and garlic cloves, and pour the mixture over your potatoes. Cover with aluminum foil or your gratin lid, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the milk is close to evaporated.
Place your heavy cream in a saucepan. Heat on low, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
When the potatoes are ready, remove from the oven, and pour the heavy cream over the potatoes. Dot the surface with the other half of the butter.
Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the surface is golden brown.
Remove from the oven when ready, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes to allow the butterfat to drain to the bottom of the dish. Top with flaky salt and serve.
Note: This dish can also be made ahead of time (up to a full day in advance), then reheated or broiled in the oven before serving. If you plan to make ahead, lower the second round of baking time by 5 minutes.
