Author: Thomas Sixt is a chef, food photographer, cookbook author and blogger. Here he shares recipes, answers cooking questions and helps with cooking.
I got to know Gratin Dauphinois, as the recipe is called in French, during my apprenticeship in a restaurant that was awarded a star by the Michelin Guide.
The gratin is absolutely simple and consists only of potatoes, cream, garlic, butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.
Optionally you can add thyme or some broth.
The most important thing is, the original gratin comes without cheese on the table.
The gratin is a popular side dish with meat and fish, it goes excellently with roast lamb and steak.
Below you will find a few step-by-step photos of the recipe, which will help you cook it yourself.
This list is handy if you are in the supermarket right now and want to buy the ingredients.
You need:
waxy potatoes
cream
garlic
vegetable stock, cubes or powder (optional)
salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and nutmeg
fresh thyme (optional)
You can find the exact ingredients in the recipe Gratin Dauphinois further down the page.
The potato gratin is a similar recipe. Combined with other vegetables the gratin quickly becomes a vegetarian main course.
4. Do´s and Dont´s at Potato Gratin
I’m honestly a little excited right now.
What I found today again in recipe excrescences, about the preparation of gratin is to the hair is tussle… the absolute Lowlights I present to you here:
In some recipes it is recommended to rub the casserole dish with garlic.
It is enough to boil the garlic clove in the cream. The rubbing out of the form with 1/2 or with 12 garlic cloves you can generally save at this point…
Garlic Tip from Chef Thomas Sixt
You don’t need to use cream and milk together. What would be the point of combining creamy cream and watery milk to boil the liquid down again?
Only use cream!
Please! Says Chef Thomas Sixt
A good gratin you prepare without cheese. The cheese, as indicated in most recipes, is placed on top of the gratin at the beginning. It dissolves almost completely in the oven in combination with steam and liquid into its components protein and fat. You get fat dripping potato stuff that doesn’t taste good.
Do not use cheese or put only a little grated cheese on the potatoes in the last 10 minutes (briefly gratinated).
Gratin tip from Chef Thomas Sixt
Sour cream and crème fraîche, even yogurt and cream cheese are popular gratin ingredients. Unfortunately, the above “flocculate” during baking. As a result, flocculated milk ingredients show up in the gratin.
Do not use cream fraiche, cream cheese or yoghurt!
Cream tip from chef Thomas Sixt
The preparation time of gratin, also prepared with thin potato slices, is mostly wrong.
Potato gratin takes at least 45 minutes in the oven, 60 minutes for older stoves and inexpensive models. A good temperature is 175°C hot air.
Tip from Chef Thomas Sixt
The many peculiarities about cooking have produced the most wonderful style blossoms in the new age.
Below you can write to me directly. Please don’t forget the star rating on the recipe, 5 stars means you liked it!
Hi Thomas, thank you so much for this recipe. I am trying to make this for 14 people this thanksgiving. Is everything scalable, or is there anything specific I need to keep in mind when scaling the recipe up? Would appreciate if you send measurements for a bigger serving. Thanks so much!!!
Hi Thomas, thank you so much for this recipe. I am trying to make this for 14 people this thanksgiving. Is everything scalable, or is there anything specific I need to keep in mind when scaling the recipe up? Would appreciate if you send measurements for a bigger serving. Thanks so much!!!