Potato Au Gratin: HOW!?

Tree

Any time i've attempted gratin, the potatoes are nearly harder than when they went in and the cream has burnt Finely slicing the spuds aint an issue, you can see through them sometimes. and still it doesnt work


how does everyone else manage to do it?

Shabadu

The mistake most people make is having the oven too hot. You need to have the spuds in the cream in the oven at a medium heat for at LEAST 50 minutes, with tinfoil covering the dish. Check the spuds with a knife to see if they are tender- when they are, whip off the tinfoil and blast up the heat for 15 mins more.

andyg

I find that steaming the sliced potato for five minutes or so helps the cooking process.

Then in to a oven dish with a sliced onion and the cream (50% cream and 50% milk works well also), and some cheddar cheese on top. Whack it in to a 200 degree oven for 30 - 35 minutes. Check the spuds with a knife to be sure. The top should be golden brown at this stage. If not put it under the grill for a few minutes

Shabadu

I don't use onion or cheese in mine, just seven or eight cloves of garlic and cream, with lashings of salt & pepper.

Alun

Yes, the bit about covering with tinfoil for the majority of the cooking time, and removing it for the last 15 mins or so is absolutely crucial. Having the foil on top keeps in all the steam and makes sure the potatoes cook properly. I too use a 50/50 mix of milk and cream and occasionally a beaten egg too. Before I finish it I also dot the top with butter and a quick grate of nutmeg.

BTW If you just want a hint of garlic (i.e. not Shabadu's 7 or 8 cloves :eek:) take a clove of garlic, cut it in two and just rub the inside of the dish with it before putting in the potatoes.

EDIT: You'd also be advised (if you can find them in the land of the floury potato) to use more waxy potatoes, otherwise it will disintegrate into mush.

Shabadu

You see, my mum used to put garlic in all my baby dinners. I think I became addicted in utero. My mum has this thing about the alium family, she can peel an onion and eat it like an apple.

Tree

eughhh, onions are only good cooked.


think ill reattempt it during the weekend. might toss in some onion too for the giggle

Trotter

How much cream and milk do you put in? Im gonna give this baby a whirl.

Chong

You want to basically just about cover the potatoes, sorry about the inaccuracy. A nice way to finish it off is when the potatoes are cooked cover the top in Italian tallegio cheese and grill until brown, makes it simply delicious.

olaola

Don't put too much cream. A small pot is enough for 4 people.
DO NOT be tempted to cover the potatoes - they will become soggy.

You can cover them for the first 20 mins or so, then take the lid off.
It will stop them getting too crispy and they will cook quicker.

Add nutmeg.. it really makes the dish.

Slices of gruyere or similar cheese is a nice addition.

mikep

Heres how I do it:

Slice spuds, even thickness.
Boil in a mixture of cream and milk with a sprig of parsley, thyme and 2 bay leaves plus salt pepper and a few cloves of garlic.
Boil for ten to fifteen mins.
Coat the inside of the dish with olive oil, place the creamy spud mixture in the dish.(Take out the herbs, you can leave the garlic if you want)
Cover with mature cheddar.
Bake at 180 for about 20 mins untill top is nicely browned.

Enjoy

mikep

Bollo!!

I forgot the dash of ground nutmeg!!

Tree

so i had no cream so i made a mockeya white sauce w/. loadsa garlic. and its been in a medium hot oven under tin foil for an hour and the spuds are still like little rocks.... grrrrrrrrr

babaduck

Gas 5 / 200c preheated oven

Slice your potato (1 good sized one per person) very thinly - I use a mandoline for this.

Season the base of your dish with salt and pepper, add a layer of potato, season again and repeat until all the potato slices have been used.

Pour 1 medium carton light cream over the potatoes & give the dish a gentle shake to make sure the cream has reached the base (using a glass baking dish makes your life so much easier!!)

Bake for at least 50 minutes - add some cheese 10 minutes before the end of you like, and loosely cover the top with foil if it's getting too brown during cooking

Check the potatoes at 50 minutes with a knife to see if they're cooked... if not, another 10 minutes & keep rechecking until they dish is completely cooked.

Remember, the shallower the baking dish, the quicker the gratin will cook for you.

Shabadu

Tree wrote:

so i had no cream so i made a mockeya white sauce w/. loadsa garlic. and its been in a medium hot oven under tin foil for an hour and the spuds are still like little rocks.... grrrrrrrrr

White sauce would take longer for the spuds to absorb, because of the consistency and starch. You would have been better off using milk with a knob of butter.

Tree

you live and learn. i have learned that gratin is best left in the oven overnight....