CHEESY POTATO GRATIN
Potato gratin is a classic French dish made by layering thinly sliced potatoes with cream, garlic, and cheese, usually Gruyère, then baking it until the top turns golden and crispy while the inside becomes delectably soft and creamy. The combination of tender potatoes soaked in rich, savoury cream and melted cheese creates an irresistible comfort food that’s perfect alongside roast meats or as a standalone indulgence.
My version tries to steer clear of cream, and instead creates a loose bechamel sauce that it gets cooked in. This way I am able to flavour the milk with dijon mustard, bay leaf and lots of fresh thyme, whilst also cooking down some shallot in white wine which is my secret trick to getting a more balanced tray bake. The bright acidity of the cooked out white wine, cuts through the richness and the dijon mustard brightens it all up. the result is a deeply creamy gratin, and one that’s not watery in the slightest.
CHEESY POTATO GRATIN
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CHEESY POTATO GRATIN 〰️
Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Serves: 8-10 people as a side dish
1 litre milk
20gm fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
2 table spoon dijon mustard
2kg white potatoes, washed
1 table spoon olive oil
2 large shallots, finely diced
150ml white wine
100gm butter
100gm plain flour
1 table spoon ground nutmeg
200gm gruyere, grated
200gm mozzarella, grated
Salt
10gm fresh chives, finely diced
Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius fan forced
Start with infusing the milk, place milk, fresh thyme, bay leaves and dijon mustard into a pot and place on your lowest stove heat. Allow to gently infuse, making sure it never simmers. If it’s beginning to steam, take if off the heat and let it sit in its infusion til ready to use.
Prep the potatoes by using a sharp knife to thinly slice the potatoes. Try to cut them in a way so they you end up with similar sized potatoes, and optionally I don’t use the ends, so feel free to not use them as well. Place the potato slices into a large bowl of cold water as soon as they’re cut and place to the side once all cut.
Prep the cheesy béchamel base by place a large pot on medium heat with olive oil. And in the shallots with a pinch of salt and saute down for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Raise heat to high and then add in the white wine and cook down until it’s reduced by three quarters. Add in the butter and once it’s melted in, add in the flour and mix together cooking out for 2 minutes. Place sieve on pot and then pour in the infused milk, allowing the sieve to catch the herbs. Using a whisk, whisk the béchamel until slightly thicker, you want it still pourable. Season with salt to taste and add in the nutmeg before adding the grated gruyere in batches and whisking in, until all meted in and homogeneous. Take off heat and keep whisking for a minute whilst it cools.
In a large baking tray, add in 3/4 of the cheesy béchamel to the bed of the tray. Drain the water from the bowl of potatoes and in three lines longways, layer the potato slices onto to each other, pushing some béchamel in between each touching potato. Once all potatoes are used, place into the oven and bake for 40 minutes uncovered. After 40 minutes and the grated mozzarella on top and bake for another 30 minutes, or until golden and crunchy on top.
Once baked take out of oven and cover with diced fresh chives on top and serve hot.