I first discovered just how good potato gratin can be when I was working in Paris. It was cold and snowing and one of my jobs at the time was to make individual gratins in small cast iron Le Creuset pans. The texture and flavour of the potatoes, having been very slowly cooked in garlic and cream, produce this comforting French winner. Perfect and very satisfying to eat at this time of year. Serve this with almost anything, it’s even just great on its own.
Ingredients
| 2 cloves | Garlic, finely grated |
| 1 cup | Milk |
| 1 cup | Cream |
| 4 | Potatoes, large, peeled and finely sliced, I use agria (Main) |
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Directions
- Heat the oven to 140C. Place the garlic in a pot with the milk and cream, bring to the boil. Turn off and leave to infuse for half an hour.
- Finely slice the potatoes (a mandolin makes this easy — otherwise carefully slice them as thin as possible with a sharp knife).
- Take a small roasting dish or ovenproof pan and layer in the potatoes, overlapping them — a bit like dealing a pack of cards. Sprinkle a little salt over every second layer. Press the potatoes down well after each layer, the fewer gaps the better.
- Pour in the garlic-infused milk and press down the potatoes so they're below the liquid, then place in the oven and cook for 2 hours. Add more liquid if necessary to keep the potatoes moist. Check to see if it is cooked by piercing with a knife, it should be soft and not firm at all.
- If you are a cheese fan, you can sprinkle over your favourite cheese at the end and give it a quick grill.
