Gratin dauphinois
Thin slices of potato baked slowly in garlic-scented cream and milk until soft, set and browned on top. No cheese, no stock.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 25 min
- Rest
- 15 min
- Total
- 2 hr
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Gratin dauphinois is sliced raw potato baked in cream and milk with garlic, salt and nutmeg, and nothing else. The potatoes are cut thin and not rinsed, because their surface starch is what thickens the cream into a sauce that sets as it rests. Some cooks simmer the slices in the milk and cream first to start the starch working; this version does, which shortens the oven time and makes the result more reliable. It bakes low until a knife slides through with no resistance and the top is spotted brown. Cheese is the most common addition and the most argued about. In the Dauphiné it is left out.
What you'll need
8 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Potato, all-purpose, such as Maris Piper or Yukon Gold, peeled and sliced 3 mm thick, not rinsed1.2 kg
- Milk, whole500 ml
- Cream, double or whipping300 ml
- Garlic, one halved for rubbing the dish, one crushed2 clove
- Butter, half for the dish, half for the top20 g
- Nutmeg, freshly grated1 pinch
- Salt9.9 ml
- White pepper, or black2½ ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Heat the oven to 160°C. Rub the inside of a gratin dish about 5 cm deep with the cut garlic clove, then butter it with half the butter.
3 min
Step 2
Peel the potatoes and slice them 3 mm thick with a knife or mandoline. Do not rinse them; the starch is what thickens the sauce.
12 min
Step 3
Put the slices in a wide saucepan with the milk, cream, crushed garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer, stirring gently from the bottom with a spatula so nothing sticks, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the liquid has thickened and the slices bend without breaking.
10 min
Watch: Milk catches fast. Keep the heat moderate and keep the spatula moving along the bottom.
Step 4
Tip everything into the dish and press the slices flat so the top layer is level and only just covered by the cream. Dot with the rest of the butter.
2 min
Step 5
Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the top is golden brown in patches and a knife meets no resistance anywhere. If the top colours too fast, lay a sheet of foil over it.
70 min160°C
Step 6
Rest for 15 minutes before serving so the cream sets around the potatoes. Serve from the dish.
15 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 403 kcal
- Protein
- 7.9 g
- Carbs
- 40.1 g
- Fat
- 23.8 g
- Saturated fat
- 14.9 g
- Fibre
- 4.5 g
- Sugar
- 7.4 g
- Sodium
- 715 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Milk and cream → 1 litre whole milk, no cream
The older, plainer version some Dauphiné cooks swear by. It sets less richly and needs the full simmering step.
Tips
- Keep the dish shallow. Deeper than 5 cm and the middle stays firm while the top overcooks.
- It reheats well, covered, at 160°C for 25 minutes, and cuts into neat squares when cold.
History & culture
It is the potato that goes beside a roast: leg of lamb on Sunday, a rib of beef, a roast chicken. Restaurants in Grenoble and the Alpine valleys serve it in the dish it was baked in. French home cooks make it ahead without guilt; it reheats well and slices more cleanly the next day.
The Dauphiné is the old province around Grenoble. The first written mention of the dish is usually given as a dinner served to town officials in Gap in 1788. Purists in the region insist the original had no cheese, and some say no cream either, only milk, though most recipes since the early 20th century use both.
Traditional — Cooks in the Dauphiné argue over milk only versus cream; this uses both, which is the common modern form. With cheese and stock it becomes gratin savoyard, a different dish from the next valley.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Gratin dauphinois take?
2 hr all in — 20 min prep, 1 hr 25 min cook, 15 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Chef's knife, Cutting board, Saucepan, Oven.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Milk and cream → 1 litre whole milk, no cream. The older, plainer version some Dauphiné cooks swear by. It sets less richly and needs the full simmering step.
What should I watch for?
Milk catches fast. Keep the heat moderate and keep the spatula moving along the bottom.
Any tips from this recipe?
Keep the dish shallow. Deeper than 5 cm and the middle stays firm while the top overcooks. It reheats well, covered, at 160°C for 25 minutes, and cuts into neat squares when cold.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
Similar dishes
Fennel Dauphinoise
Fennel Dauphinoise from France.
Medium
Boulangère Potatoes
Boulangère Potatoes from France.
Easy
Tartiflette
Savoie potato bake: sliced potatoes, smoked lardons and onion softened in white wine, topped with a whole reblochon split in half and baked until it runs.
Easy
Papas Chorreadas (Potatoes with Cream and Cheese Sauce)
Papas Chorreadas
Papas Chorreadas (Potatoes with Cream and Cheese Sauce) from Colombia.
A bit of work