Dauphinoise Potatoes (Creamy Garlic Potato Gratin)

Quick answer

Total time: 80 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Dauphinoise potatoes are a French gratin made by layering uniformly thin potato slices - cut to two millimeters - in a buttered baking dish, with a warm mixture of heavy cream, milk, minced garlic, and salt poured between each layer.

Rinsing and drying the sliced potatoes removes excess surface starch for a cleaner result. Grated Gruyère cheese goes on top before the dish bakes at 170 degrees Celsius for fifty-five to sixty minutes, during which the potatoes absorb the cream and turn meltingly tender beneath a golden crust. Resting the gratin for ten minutes after baking lets the layers firm up enough to hold their shape when sliced. Keeping the potato thickness consistent ensures every slice cooks at the same rate.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

potatoes800 gg

heavy cream350 mlml

milk120 mlml

garlic2 eaea

butter20 gg

gruyere cheese80 gg

salt1 tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

Spread the 20 g butter evenly over the inside of the baking dish, reaching the corners so the potatoes do not stick or dry out at the edges.
2

Prep

Trim the 800 g potatoes, then slice them evenly to 2 mm thickness.

Rinse the slices in water, separate any pieces that cling together, and pat them very dry with paper towels, including between stacked slices.
3

Control

Combine 350 ml heavy cream, 120 ml milk, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon salt in a saucepan.

Warm over low heat only until light steam rises, stirring so the dairy does not catch on the bottom.
4

Prep

Lay the potato slices in the dish with slight overlaps, then spoon on a thin layer of the warm cream mixture.

Repeat the layering, pressing gently so the potatoes are evenly moistened without large dry gaps.
5

Control

Scatter the 80 g gruyere evenly over the top and bake for 55 to 60 minutes.

If the surface browns before the potatoes are tender, cover it loosely with foil and continue baking until a knife slides in easily.
6

Prep

Remove the gratin when the center offers little resistance and the cream bubbles at the edges.

Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting, so the layers settle and each portion lifts out cleanly.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Uniform 2mm potato slices layered with garlic cream ensure even, tender baking.
Finish cue: If the surface browns before the potatoes are tender, cover it loosely with foil and continue baking until a knife slides in easily.
Avoid this: Spread the 20 g butter evenly over the inside of the baking dish, reaching the corners so the potatoes do not stick or dry out at the edges.