Potato day! One of french’s great names: pomme de terre – earth apple! Today I am cooking my first truly french recipe of this endeavor. I ate this at Next in its first iteration – Paris 1906. All dishes were derived from Escoffier’s Le Guide Culinaire. Next published an e-book of recipes from its Paris menu and that is where this luscious recipe is from. In looking through the Google e-book of Le Guide, there are three “dauphinoise” recipes, none of which quite line up with the recipe below which follows a more currently traditional scalloped potato route.

Potato Dauphinoise 

1 1/2 lbs yukon gold potatoes

600 grams heavy cream

1 garlic clove

a few handfuls of thyme sprigs

100 grams of gruyere cheese

50 grams of panko bread crumbs

Peel the potatoes and grate most of the cheese roughly and use your finest zester to grate the rest. Heat the heavy cream, garlic and most of the thyme in a medium sauce pan until simmering. Remove from heat and let the mixture steep for 20 minutes. Pour the mixture through a strainer and put strained cream back into the saucepan.

Slice the potatoes finely with a mandolin. Reheat the cream and place the sliced potatoes in the cream. Cook at a simmer until the potatoes are tender. Once cooked, pour the contents of the sauce pan on to a sheet pan and refigerate until cool to the touch.

In an oval baking dish, place a layer of potato and cream first, followed by a layer of roughly grated gruyere. Repeat two more times. Mix the panko with the finely grated gruyere and spread on top of the dish. Place a few thyme leaves on top and bake in a 350 degree oven. When the cream starts bubbling, increase the heat to broil and cook until the panko turns golden brown – happens quickly! Enjoy!