Gratin Dauphinois

There are few dishes as luscious, crave-worthy and dramatic as a traditional Gratin Dauphinois — French potatoes au gratin. As long as you have a mandoline to slice the potatoes, it’s actually pretty easy to make. (If you don’t have a mandoline, try this recipe.)

READ: To make a traditional gratin dauphinois, back away from the cheese

You’ll need a baking dish or gratin dish that holds about 1.75 to 2 quarts; the one pictured below is from Sur La Table. If you want to buy one from Amazon, this one from Lodge (which we have not tried) looks like the right size. For reference and in case it’s helpful, ours measures 11 inches by 7 3/4 inches on top and 10 1/2 by 7 inches on the bottom; it’s 2 1/4 inches deep.

To get the salt right, have the 1 teaspoon measured out in a small bowl or dish, and use some of it to salt each layer.

Serves 4 - 5.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small bits, plus more for buttering the baking dish

2 pounds Yukon Gold or other firm yellow potatoes, medium-sized