Elizabeth David’s Potato Dauphinois – A Beautiful Classic Gratin

There are many different versions of potato dauphinois, from richer French-style gratins that include egg, cheese, or bacon, to simpler traditional family recipes like this one. Elizabeth David’s version is beautifully straightforward, relying on just potatoes, cream, garlic, and butter to create a tender, golden bake with a little creamy sauce underneath. It is especially delicious served alongside crumbed chops and crisp German white cabbage salad, where its richness balances the meal beautifully.

Elizabeth David’s Potato Dauphinois

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Rest Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 as a side dish

A simple, elegant potato dauphinois — also known as potato gratin — made with thinly sliced potatoes, cream, butter, garlic and seasoning, slow baked until tender and golden with a little creamy sauce underneath.

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Ingredients

 

• 1 garlic clove peeled and lightly crushed
• Butter for greasing dish
• 1 kg waxy potatoes (Kipfler or Desiree recommended)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 300 ml thickened (pouring) cream
• 2-3 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces

Instructions

 

Prepare the dish

• Preheat oven to 150°C conventional / 130°C fan-forced / 300°F conventional / 265°F fan-forced.
• Rub a gratin or baking dish all over with the crushed garlic clove to lightly flavour it. Discard garlic clove.
• Grease the dish generously with butter.

Prepare the potatoes

• Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly — about the thickness of a 20-cent coin or penny.
• Rinse the sliced potatoes well under cold water.
• Dry thoroughly using a clean tea towel.

Assemble

• Reserve the largest slices for the top layer if desired.
• Layer potatoes evenly into the dish.
• Season generously with salt and pepper over the top.
• Pour the cream evenly over the potatoes.
• Dot with the small pieces of butter.

Bake

• Bake uncovered for 80 minutes, then check tenderness.
• Spoon a little of the cream from the dish over the top of the potatoes. If the top is not yet browning, increase the oven temperature slightly for the final 15 minutes to help it colour nicely.
• Return to oven for a further 15 minutes, or until fully tender and golden (about 95 minutes total).

Rest before serving

• Remove from oven.
• Loosely cover, I used a piece of scrunched baking paper and then a clean towel.
• Rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

• For readers outside Australia: choose a waxy potato variety such as red potatoes, Yukon Gold, Charlotte, or other firm potatoes that hold their shape well when baked.
• Best made in a shallow dish with plenty of surface area.
• Potatoes should come within about 2 cm of the top of the dish.
• Kipfler potatoes are excellent if available, but any good waxy potato works well.
• The little creamy sauce underneath is part of what makes this dish so delicious.
• Also known as potato gratin in many kitchens, this is a timeless classic side dish.
• Traditionally this dish is served as a rich accompaniment to meats such as crumbed chops, roast meats or grilled sausages.