Potatoes Dauphine

By maryinthekitchen

Ingredients

• • 15 lbs waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (such as Desiree, Golden Wonder, Maris Piper, Idaho or King Edward)
• • 30 ounces gruyere cheese, grated
• • 3 3/4 pints double cream
• • 5 to taste salt
• • 5 to taste fresh ground black pepper
• • 10 -20 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• • 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• • 5 ounces butter
• • 5 to taste cheese, for topping (optional

Preparation

Step 1

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 300F/150C/gas mark 2.
2. 2 Take a heavy-bottomed dish or an ovenproof gratin dish (a Le Creuset is ideal - the potatoes tend not to catch), and grease it will with some of the butter.
3. 3 Layer the potato slices in the dish, slightly overlapping each other, seasoning lightly with the salt and pepper, and sprinkling a liberal amount of cheese on each layer.
4. 4 Sprinkle cheese on the top of the last layer.
5. 5 Put the double cream, garlic and sprigs of thyme in a pan and bring to them gently to the boil, then remove the thyme and pour hot cream over the potatoes.
6. 6 Dot the top of the gratin with the remaining butter and some extra cheese if you wish, and bake for about 1 hr to 1 1/2 hrs, or until the potatoes are soft, and the top is crispy and golden brown.
7. 7 Serve bubbling hot as a main meal or as an accompaniment