When I was going through the endless load of freshly harvested potatoes that my son took home from his school’s agricultural land, my dear friend Ms. Claudia Lee Kimura recommended this amazingly delicious recipe with very useful amendment advices which forever changed my husband’s reluctant appetite towards potatoes!

“Gratin Dauphinois” is a French side dish originated from the Dauphiné region in south-eastern France back in 1788. It is a dish of thinly sliced potatoes baked in milk and cream. Gratin is a French culinary term that describes the golden crust on top of a dish which turned brown during the baking process in the oven. Modern “potato gratin dauphinois” often includes cheese, however the traditional one does not contain any cheese.

Since we are talking about baked potatoes here, some might also ask, what is the difference between Potatoes au Gratin and Scalloped Potatoes? In American English, “Gratin Dauphinois” is referred to “Potatoes au Gratin”. So Potatoes au Gratin is originally a French dish, whereas Scalloped Potatoes is believed to have originated from England. Lastly, the modern American version of Potatoes au Gratin usually consists of thinly sliced potatoes and cheese while Scalloped Potatoes are cut much thicker and without cheese.

INGREDIENTS
Potatoes	4 (1lb / 450g)
[SAUCE] Yellow Onion	½
[SAUCE] Grated Garlic	½ Teaspoon
[SAUCE] Fresh Thyme	6 Sprigs
[SAUCE] Ground Nutmeg	¼ Teaspoon
[SAUCE] Salt	1 Teaspoon
[SAUCE] Heavy Cream	1 Cup / 200ml
[SAUCE] Milk	½ Cup / 100ml

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
2. Peel and cut the potatoes into thin slices and finely dice the onions.
3. In a large pan, combine potatoes and [SAUCE] ingredients and cook under medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Place potatoes evenly in layers in an oven-safe pot and pour the cream sauce on top.
5. Bake in the oven at 350F/180C for 45 minutes (until potatoes are easily poked through with a fork).
6. DŌZO!

Recipe adapted from [Rock Recipes]