Gratin Dauphinois (Creamy Potato Bake)
Thin slices of potato baked slowly in garlic-scented milk and cream until meltingly soft inside and golden on top. The original from the Alps has no cheese, and doesn't need it.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Prepare the dish
Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Rub the inside of a baking dish, about 20 x 30 cm, with the cut side of the halved garlic clove, then coat it well with the butter.
- 1 clove, halved garlic
- 20 g butter
✅ Done when: the dish is evenly greased and smells lightly of garlic
Slice the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and slice them about 3 mm thick. If using a , keep the hand guard on and your fingers behind it; with a knife, hold the potato steady and cut with slow, even strokes. Do not rinse the slices, since their starch helps thicken the sauce.
- 1.2 kg potatoes
✅ Done when: all potatoes are sliced into thin, even rounds
Simmer in the milk and cream
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Fill the dish
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Bake slowly
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Rest and serve
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Prepare the dish
Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Rub the inside of a baking dish, about 20 x 30 cm, with the cut side of the halved garlic clove, then coat it well with the butter.
- 1 clove, halved garlic
- 20 g butter
✅ Done when: the dish is evenly greased and smells lightly of garlic
Slice the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and slice them about 3 mm thick. If using a , keep the hand guard on and your fingers behind it; with a knife, hold the potato steady and cut with slow, even strokes. Do not rinse the slices, since their starch helps thicken the sauce.
- 1.2 kg potatoes
✅ Done when: all potatoes are sliced into thin, even rounds
Simmer in the milk and cream
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Fill the dish
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Bake slowly
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Rest and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
The gratin dauphinois comes from the Dauphiné, the mountainous region around Grenoble. Its first written mention dates from 1788, when it was served at a dinner for town officials in the Alpine town of Gap.
In mountain farms, potatoes and milk were always on hand, and long, slow baking in the bread oven turned them into a rich, golden dish. Locals insist that the real thing has no cheese and no eggs.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is the ultimate side dish: soft, creamy, garlicky potatoes with a golden crust that everyone fights over.
💡 Fun Fact
Add cheese and the people of Grenoble will tell you it is a 'gratin savoyard', the version from the neighbouring Savoy region.
Dauphiné, French Alps (Grenoble)
45.19°N, 5.72°E
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