The ultimate makeover: Potato dauphinoise
By Angela Nilsen
Cooking time
Prep: 30 mins Cook: 1 hr, 30 minsSkill level
EasyServings
Serves 6Crème fraîche, stock and semi-skimmed milk replace traditional ingredients to make this the healthiest dauphinoise yet
Nutrition and extra info
Additional info
- Vegetarian
Nutrition per serving
- kcalories
- 232
- protein
- 6g
- carbs
- 27g
- fat
- 12g
- saturates
- 7g
- fibre
- 2g
- sugar
- 3g
- salt
- 0.25g
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 150ml semi-skimmed milk
- 1 plump garlic clove, peeled and halved
- 4 thyme sprigs, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped
- good pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1kg waxy potatoes (try Desirée)
- 140g full-fat crème fraîche
- 75ml vegetable stock (Marigold bouillon)
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 25g Gruyère or vegetarian alternative, grated
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Method
- Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Brush the oil over the bottom and sides of a 25 x 19 x 5cm ovenproof dish. Put the milk, garlic, 4 thyme sprigs, bay leaf and shallot into a saucepan. Bring just to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the nutmeg and a little pepper. Set aside to infuse.
- Peel then slice the potatoes very thinly. Pat them dry. Layer half the slices in the dish, overlapping slightly, then season.
- Strain the infused milk into a jug. Put the crème fraîche into a bowl, then gradually pour in the milk, whisking until smooth. Add the stock and thyme leaves. Return this liquid to the jug, then pour half of it over the potatoes in the dish. Layer up the rest of the potatoes, then add remaining liquid, the cheese and a grind of pepper. Sit the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 1¼-1½ hrs until golden and tender – test by inserting a sharp knife through the potatoes. Stand for 5 mins before serving, sprinkled with thyme sprigs.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2010
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Comments, questions and tips
Comments
I was unable to get Creme Fraiche or Guyere Cheese here in our local shops in Mauritius - so I used half light cooking cream and thick natural yoghurt and Emmental cheese.
Guests loved it - tasted delicious.
I am getting used to a new cooker and overdid one of the 2 dishes I did of this, so I removed it from the oven and poured some semi skimmed milk in any gaps and let it stand for 40 mins, the milk was soaked up and it tasted delicious.
I also used reduced fat creme fraiche and skimmed milk as wanted to reduce the fat content. However I think I'd rather stick to the full fat version as was watery and tasteless. I also think I would put garlic into the dish rather than just infusing the milk as just wasn't garlicky enough for me. I also had to cook it for a longer time - perhaps my thin slices of potato weren't thin enough!