Gratin is a widespread culinary technique in food preparation in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. Gratin originated in French cuisine and is usually prepared in a shallow dish of some kind. A gratin is baked or cooked under an overhead grill or broiler to form a golden crust on top and is traditionally served in its baking dish.
Potatoes gratiné is one of the most common of gratins and is known by various names including “gratin potatoes” and “Gratin de pommes de terre”. Slices of boiled potato are put in a buttered fireproof dish, sprinkled with cheese and browned in the oven or under the grill. In North America, the dish is referred to variously as scalloped potatoes, potatoes au gratin, or au gratin potatoes. (Note that the term scalloped originally referred to a style of seafood dish rather than to one specifically based on the scallop.) In French-speaking Canada, the dish is referred to as patates au gratin. Australians and New Zealanders refer to it as scalloped potatoes or potato bake.
Scalloped Potato Gratin
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more to finish
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Unsalted butter
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a saucepan, heat up the cream with the bay leaves, thyme, garlic, nutmeg and some salt and pepper.
While the cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bay leaves and thyme. Pour the heated cream into a large bowl with the potato slices. Mix gently to coat the potatoes. Dust the Parmesan over the potatoes. Season the mix with a little bit of salt and pepper. Mix to gently incorporate. Spoon a little bit of the cream into the bottom of the casserole dish. Then spoon the potatoes in. Level out the potatoes for uniform cooking time. Pour the remaining cream at the bottom of the bowl over the top. Top with some Parmesan and fresh thyme leaves. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, but pull back one corner for the steam to escape. Bake for 40 minutes
