A proper potato gratin is wonderfully simple: thin slices of potato, cream, milk and garlic, baked slowly until the inside is soft and silky and the top is blistered and golden. It turns a Sunday roast into an occasion, and it sits happily next to a good French white.
We are The French Carousel, an Australian shop for French wine. Here is our gratin dauphinois recipe, a few tips for a golden top, and white wines we pour with it on a mild evening or a Sunday roast with the doors open.
Potato gratin the French way
Gratin dauphinois comes from the Dauphiné, the old province around Grenoble at the foot of the French Alps. Gratin refers to the crust that forms on top, and the dish has been served in the region since at least the 18th century.
Purists will tell you a true dauphinois has no cheese at all: the golden top comes from the cream itself. Add cheese and you are edging towards its Alpine cousin, the gratin savoyard. Both options are in the method below.
Gratin dauphinois step by step
Serves 6 as a side.
You need: 1.2 kg waxy or all rounder potatoes such as Désirée or Nicola, 1 garlic clove (halved) plus 2 cloves finely grated, 30 g soft butter, 300 ml thickened or pouring cream, 300 ml full cream milk, 2 thyme sprigs, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon sea salt, white or black pepper, and optional 60 g grated gruyère for the top.
- Heat the oven to 160°C. Rub the inside of a shallow baking dish with the cut garlic, then grease it generously with the butter.
- Warm the cream, milk, grated garlic, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a saucepan until it just starts to steam. Turn off the heat and let it sit while you slice.
- Peel the potatoes and slice them about 3 mm thick, using a mandoline if you have one. Do not rinse them; the starch helps the cream thicken.
- Overlap the slices in the dish in even layers. Remove the thyme and pour the warm cream over, pressing the potatoes down so they are just covered.
- Bake for 1¼ to 1½ hours, until a knife slides through without resistance and the top is golden. Scatter over the cheese for the last 20 minutes if using.
- Let it stand for 15 minutes before serving, so the cream can settle and the gratin slices neatly.
Tips for a golden top
Slice evenly so no crunchy pieces hide in the middle. A wide, shallow dish gives you more golden crust. For a lighter gratin without cream, use all milk with a little extra butter, or half milk and half chicken stock. You can bake it fully, cool and refrigerate, then reheat covered at 160°C until hot right through. Serve it with roast chicken, roast lamb, or a simple steak and green salad.
White wines we pour with it
Cream, garlic and thinly sliced potato need a white with depth and freshness. Our pick is Château des Rontets Pouilly-Fuissé 'Clos Varambon' 2022. This chardonnay is deep and textured, with stone fruit, beeswax and almond, and a long mineral finish. The shop page pairs it with Sunday roast chicken, crab, creamy pasta or roast pork. Serve it at 10 to 12°C.
For a Chablis with real presence, Clotilde Davenne Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2023 is rich and broad, with white flowers, peach and a round texture around iodine minerality, and no oak. The shop page pairs it with scallops, oysters, grilled fish or chicken in a creamy sauce. Serve it at 10 to 12°C.
Browse Burgundy wine and French white wine. More on the style in our Chablis explained guide, and more roast ideas in wine with chicken.
Please enjoy responsibly.
