This no-fuss potato gratin is easy to make and delicious to eat which is just perfect to set the mood for year end festivities! This is so addictive that your guests won’t get over it!
This year is almost coming to an end and I guess as a natural course of our thought process we have started reflecting on what we have achieved throughout this year. Have you? At least I have! This year started with a good note with respect to our blog as we took a right step towards realizing our dream. This blog has become an essential part of our existence and with every passing year we want it to grow to reach out to all you foodies out there and spread the goodness of home cooked food. Besides satiating our hunger, food also brings us closer and helps create a stronger bond between us living beings. Don’t you agree with me? I bet you do!
This is the very reason why food is such an integral part of all the festivals around the world and across various cultures. And that brings me to the very festive recipe of today’s – potato au gratin! This potato gratin has been in my to-do list for way too long! Something or the other always came between us and I used to push it to the next priority. Now it has waited enough and there could not be any better time to make such a festive dish to conclude the year on a high note!
Potato gratin is a very classic dish which originated in the world famous French cuisine. Gratin is nothing intimidating but a cooking technique where an ingredient, which is potato in this case, is topped with a browned crust. This crust is developed by sprinkling either of the breadcrumbs or cheese over the ingredients placed in a shallow baking dish and then grilled under an overhead broiler to create that beautiful crispy golden crust while still being velvety smooth underneath!
Potatoes are widely used in Indian cuisine also and we love our potatoes. This is why I knew that we will go nuts with this potato gratin too; but since this is not a very diet-friendly dish, I made it in smaller portion. Usually you will see large dishes of potato gratin being served with roasts in a family gathering. I made it just for the two of us and as expected both of us got hooked to it! [The recipe is for the 4 servings which I halved for us.] One quick tip before closing for the day! I used Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the top but traditionally Gruyere cheese is used for the topping. I would encourage you to use the Gruyere cheese if possible to get the maximum authentic flavor!
- Potato – 8 to 10, large (about 1 Kg)
- All-purpose flour – 3 tbsp
- Unsalted Butter – 3 tbsp
- Milk – 1 & ½ cups
- Heavy cream – ½ cup
- Dried thyme – 1 tsp
- Dried sage – ½ tsp
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking dish with some butter and set aside.
- Place half of your potato slices evenly in your buttered baking dish and set aside.
- In a saucepan, add the butter and let it melt over medium heat. Then add the flour and stir together continuously for about 1 minute until the raw smell of flour is gone.
- Add the milk, cream, thyme, sage and garlic while stirring continuously to avoid building any lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Season with some salt and pepper. Remove the garlic once the sauce is done.
- Pour half of the cream sauce over the layered potatoes in baking dish. Then layer the remaining potatoes and pour the remaining cream sauce over it. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, take the baking dish out and remove foil. Scatter the grated cheese all over the top and finish baking the potatoes for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. I did broil my potato gratin for the last 2 minutes to get a golden color on the top. But make sure to keep a close watch while broiling.
- Let it cool down for some time and serve warm with your favorite roasted meat. Enjoy!
Liked the recipe? Let us know!