Potato Au Gratin
Quick answer
Potato Au Gratin is a French baked potato dish where thinly sliced potatoes are layered with cream and Gruyere cheese, then baked until the top forms a deep golden crust.
What makes this special
- Uniformly sliced potatoes ensure even cooking in this Gruyere-topped Potato Au Gratin.
- Uniform 2 to 3mm slices so every layer cooks in exactly the same time
- Gruyère melts into stretchy strings with a nutty-scented golden crust
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Preheat the oven to 190C. Coat the baking dish evenly with 1 tablespoon butt...
- 2 Trim the potatoes, then slice all 700 g into thin 2 to 3 mm rounds.
- 3 Mix 300 ml heavy cream, 150 ml milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 0.5 teaspoon black pepper.
Potato Au Gratin is a French baked potato dish where thinly sliced potatoes are layered with cream and Gruyere cheese, then baked until the top forms a deep golden crust. The potatoes must be sliced to a uniform two to three millimeters - a mandoline slicer ensures consistent thickness so every layer cooks at the same rate. A mixture of heavy cream and milk warmed gently with garlic is poured between each layer of potatoes, where it meets the potato starch and thickens into a binding sauce that holds the layers together. Gruyere is the classic cheese choice - it melts into long, stretchy strands and carries a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. It is distributed between the layers for internal richness and piled on top for the signature golden crust. After about fifty minutes at 180 degrees Celsius, the cream bubbles around the edges, the potatoes turn completely tender, and the surface cheese crisps into a crackling, browned cap.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Coat the baking dish evenly with 1 tablespoon butter, then rub it with the 2 garlic cloves so the fat carries the garlic aroma into the potato layers.
- 2Prep
Trim the potatoes, then slice all 700 g into thin 2 to 3 mm rounds.
Keep the thickness as even as possible, because thicker pieces stay firm while thin pieces collapse.
- 3Control
Mix 300 ml heavy cream, 150 ml milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 0.5 teaspoon black pepper.
If you want stronger garlic flavor, warm the mixture gently over low heat only until steaming, not boiling.
- 4Prep
Arrange the potatoes in slightly overlapping layers, spoon on a thin layer of cream mixture, and scatter Gruyere over it.
Repeat in the same order, saving enough cheese for a generous top layer.
- 5Control
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Remove the foil when the cream bubbles around the edges and a skewer slides into the potatoes with only slight resistance.
- 6Control
Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes more, until the top turns deep golden brown and the cheese looks crisp.
Rest for 10 minutes before cutting so the cream thickens and the portions hold together.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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