Pommes de Terre
What remains to be said of the humble pomme de terre, apple of the earth? Novels have been written about them; Trinity, a story of the Irish potato famine by Leon Uris, is just one. Shakespeare mentio...
Everything sounds so beautiful in French. This is a potato casserole, to be sure, but it can be very elegant as a featured dish if you take the step of using parchment paper and invert it to serve on a large platter. If the potatoes are sliced very thinly and arranged carefully, the dish will be beautiful when it is cut and served.
Of French origin, potatoes Dauphinoise is easy to put together, and worth the cream and butter. The original casserole was always baked in an earthenware dish, and left long in a slow oven. While you should plan on three hours to make the Dauphinoise, most of that is cooking time.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds local potatoes (gold, russet or any combination desired)
- sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
- 2 tablespoons or more softened butter
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups cream (heavy cream may be used for a richer dish)
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 4 tablespoons minced garlic
- dried thyme or parsley for garnish
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Slice potatoes thinly using a mandoline or sharp chef’s knife.
Generously butter a large pan or casserole. Lay parchment to cover the bottom and sides of the dish. Generously grease the parchment paper with additional softened butter. If you want an especially decorative dish you can lay sprigs of thyme along the bottom of the pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Add cream and beat well. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg and beat once more.
Arrange overlapping potato slices in a full layer over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle some of the garlic over the potatoes, and follow with a handful of cheese. Pour some of the cream mixture over the potatoes, making sure it penetrates between the slices.
Repeat, adding a layer of potatoes, a handful of cheese, and more of the cream mixture, at least three times. Finish by pouring the last of the cream mixture over everything. Top with additional cheese or sprigs of thyme.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 90 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more, until nicely browned and a little bit crispy around the edges. Poke the middle of the casserole dish with a fork to check for doneness.
Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil again and let stand for 10 minutes. Carefully invert onto a serving platter and remove parchment. Sprinkle with dried thyme or parsley flakes, cut, and serve.
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Here is a great way to prepare those gorgeous fingerling potatoes from your CSA box or the local market. Red, yellow, purple or brown, mix and match as you please—but be sure to leave the skins on!
