richard For the definitive yuletide Gratin Dauphinois recipe to accompany the also-blogged lettuce-wrapped bass we turned to Larousse Gastronomique.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Skill level: easy/medium
Ingredients
- potatoes – 1kg
- 2 whole eggs
- butter
- milk or cream – 600ml (1 pint)
- garlic – 1 clove
- nutmeg – a grating thereof
- s & p
Peel and thinly slice the potatoes.
Rub a gratin dish with garlic, generously butter and then arrange the potatoes to form a pleasing pattern.
Mix the 2 eggs with a little milk, add 1 tsp of salt, a grating of nutmeg and then whisk together with the warmed milk or cream.
Pour over the potatoes and dot with knobs of butter.
Place in a pre-heated oven (220C/gas mark 7) for 50 minutes. If necessary cover with foil towards the end of the cooking to prevent the top getting too dark.
Serve.
Grated Gruyère can also be added – one layer below the potatoes and one layer above.
Verdict: A succulent flavoursome potato odyssey with creaminess, the odd crunch and extreme delight. ‘It was yum’ quoth potato-loving father of Blogger D.
Drink: Preparation was aided by an unusual cocktail of lager with a Campari top – a drink very much de rigueur among the smart set of Rome.
Entertainment: The soundtrack of Christmas 2008 was the sparse, hypnotic, disturbing sound of Street Horrrsing by Fuck Buttons
I’m a tad surprised that the Larousse gastronomique would advocate the use of eggs in gratin dauphinois. The binding of the cream is usually provided by the starch of potatoes combined with the milk and cream. I’ll have to try that version!