Easy dauphinoise potato recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between gratin and dauphinoise? ›

Potatoes au gratin are slices of pre-cooked (usually boiled) potato cooked in cream and topped with cheese which makes the gratin. Gratin Dauphinoise, on the other hand, is a dish made of thinly-sliced (not pre-cooked) potatoes that cook in cream. Dauphinoise traditionally does not contain any cheese.

The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven. So to keep the sauce together, tackle it before the dish goes in the oven. Instead of simply layering grated cheese and milk or cream with the potatoes, you need to make a smooth cheese sauce.

Authentic gratin dauphinois, from the region Dauphiné in France, is made with cream and no cheese. If desired, substitute cream with a mixture of milk and cream, though the resulting texture and flavour will be quite different. Substitute Gruyère cheese with Emmental or any other type of hard cheese.

Gratin Dauphinois might sound fancy, but it's just a side dish made of thinly sliced potatoes, cream and cheese. This French classic – with a gorgeous caramelized top – is absolutely irresistible! These potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to a special meal!

Put simply, potatoes dauphine (pronounced "do-FEEN") are deep-fried potato puffs while potatoes dauphinoise ("do-fin-WAHZ") means baked scalloped potatoes.

Although very rich itself, I think dauphinoise potatoes works really well with rich meats such as roast lamb, steak or beef shortribs. However, it will also go perfectly with baked salmon (you could add a little lemon zest to the salmon to cut through the creaminess of the potatoes).

Don't rinse – the potato starch helps thicken the sauce

Some recipes say to rinse and dry the potatoes before stacking, but we found that by cutting out this step, the starchy potato water helps thicken the cream as it cooks.

Why is my dauphinoise watery? If your roasting tray is too small the liquid won't reduce as quickly, so be sure to pick a large one. Also, don't forget to simmer on the hob for 5 minutes (step 4) before baking.

I don't recommend soaking the potatoes in water ahead of time for our potatoes au gratin (as some recipes call for). Soaking them will cause them to lose some of their starch, which helps to keep this dish creamy. The dish will still get a nice, crisp top without soaking the potatoes.

Technically, a knockoff of Alpine Emmentaler, American Swiss is made with pasteurized cow's milk and has smaller “eyes” and milder flavor. For a low price and convenience, it's a sturdy Gruyere alternative. In a real bind, other mild, semi-firm cheeses like Wensleydale or Edam could stand in for Gruyere.

What is the French equivalent of Gruyere cheese? ›

The French Le Brouère cheese, made in nearby Vosges, is considered a variant of Gruyère.

Cheddar. Cheddar might not be your best bet if you're looking to get the same flavor as Gruyère, but if you're just in need of a good melty cheese, it's an easy choice. Try it in mac and cheese, especially if used in combination with other cheeses on this list.

They appear to share French origins; potato gratin is the Americanization of the French potatoes au gratin, and in American English gratin de pommes de terre Dauphinoise has become dauphinoise potatoes. Scalloped potatoes generally do not have cheese, whereas potato gratin and dauphinoise potatoes do.

Yes, you can cook the dauphinoise until almost fully cooked and then freeze. Defrost and reheat in the oven for 30 minutes at 180ºc.

Potato dauphinoise is made with uncooked, thinly sliced potatoes cooked in a cream sauce, whereas potato au gratin is made with pre-cooked, thinly sliced potatoes in a cream sauce. The only real difference is one is pre-cooked, and the other isn't.

fɪˈnwɑː/ GRAT-a doh-fi-NWAH) is a French gratin of sliced raw potatoes baked in cream, from the Dauphiné region in south-eastern France. There are many variants of the name of the dish, including pommes de terre dauphinoise, potatoes à la dauphinoise and gratin de pommes à la dauphinoise.

A gratin is a dish that is topped with cheese, or bread crumbs mixed with bits of butter, then heated in the oven or under the grill until brown and crisp. The terms au gratin or gratinée refer to any dish prepared in such a manner.

A “gratin” is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated in the oven or under the broiler until brown and crispy, according to The Food Lover's Companion. The term au gratin or gratinée just refers to anything prepared in that manner.