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French Classics

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Top tips for three classic potato dishes

6 top tips for gratin dauphinois

Get your hands on the right equipment
Always use a heavy bottomed saucepan or cast iron pot so you get even heat distribution.

Watch your ratios
Two-thirds cream and one-third milk is the conventional ratio for the gratin dauphinois
sauce, but this is open to interpretation. It depends on your personal preference as to how
rich you want your sauce, which will dictate whether you use more milk or just cream. If
you’re watching your waistline and looking for a healthier version, use only milk.

Slice the potatoes correctly
To take the hazard out of cutting potatoes into thin slices, first cut off a piece of your potato
so that you have a flat surface to work with. This makes it much easier to thinly slice the
potato without it rolling around. This is also a good tip for knife safety, and will help you to
get the job done quicker.

Keep potatoes in cold water
Put peeled or cut up potatoes straight into cold water, as this will stop them from oxidising
and turning grey.

Use subtle flavours
Rub a crushed garlic clove around the sides and base of your dish to give a delicious hint of
garlic to the overall flavour of the gratin.

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