Classic Potato Gratin
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
2 hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
For a more pronounced crust, sprinkle three tablespoons of heavy cream or grated Gruyère cheese on top of the potatoes after forty-five minutes of baking.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub bottom and sides of 5- to 6-cup gratin dish or shallow baking dish with garlic. Mince remaining garlic and set aside. Once garlic in dish has dried, about 2 minutes, spread dish with half the butter.
- Bring half-and-half, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne (if desired), potatoes, and reserved garlic to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon (liquid will just barely cover potatoes). Reduce heat and simmer until liquid thickens, about 2 minutes.
- Pour potato mixture into prepared dish; shake dish or use fork to distribute potatoes evenly. Gently press down potatoes until submerged in liquid; dot with remaining butter.
- Bake until top is golden brown (basting once or twice during first 45 minutes) about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes and serve.
Time
2 hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
For our Classic Potato Gratin recipe, we found that the variety of potato mattered less than that the potatoes were sliced consistently. Uniform slices between 1/16 to 1/8-inch (easily obtained using a mandoline) yielded a gratin with distinct slices of potato bathed in a velvety sauce. As for the dairy used in the gratin recipe, we tried making gratins with milk, half-and-half, and heavy cream. Our favorite turned out to be half-and-half cooked at 350 degrees for about an hour. Gratins made this way had just the right balance of saturated potato and saucy liquid, without overwhelming the taste of the potato.
Before You Begin
For a more pronounced crust, sprinkle three tablespoons of heavy cream or grated Gruyère cheese on top of the potatoes after forty-five minutes of baking.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub bottom and sides of 5- to 6-cup gratin dish or shallow baking dish with garlic. Mince remaining garlic and set aside. Once garlic in dish has dried, about 2 minutes, spread dish with half the butter.
- Bring half-and-half, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne (if desired), potatoes, and reserved garlic to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon (liquid will just barely cover potatoes). Reduce heat and simmer until liquid thickens, about 2 minutes.
- Pour potato mixture into prepared dish; shake dish or use fork to distribute potatoes evenly. Gently press down potatoes until submerged in liquid; dot with remaining butter.
- Bake until top is golden brown (basting once or twice during first 45 minutes) about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes and serve.
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