Gratin Dauphinois with Comté

Ingredients

• 1 kg starchy potatoes such as Maris Piper or Russet, peeled (2.2 to 2.6 lb) (1 to 1.2 kg)
• 300 ml double or heavy cream (1 1/4 cups)
• 300 ml whole milk (1 1/4 cups)
• 3 each garlic cloves, lightly crushed (3 to 4)
• 3 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary (1 to 2 sprig)
• Whole nutmeg, a generous grating, to taste
• Salt, generously, "way more than you think you'll need", plus black pepper, to taste
• 150 g Comté, grated: about 2/3 for the sauce and 1/3 for the top (5 oz)
• Softened unsalted butter, for the dish, to taste
• Chopped chives, to serve, to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (320°F convection, about 340 to 350°F regular).

2. 2

   Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly, about 2 to 3 mm, ideally on a mandoline. Don't wash them. The surface starch helps thicken the sauce.

3. 3

   In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, garlic, rosemary, thyme, a generous grating of nutmeg and plenty of salt. Bring it to a boil, then switch off the heat, cover and leave it to infuse for 10 minutes.

   10 min
4. 4

   Remove the herbs and garlic with a slotted spoon. Stir in about two thirds of the grated Comté until it melts into the sauce.

5. 5

   Butter the baking dish well. Stand the potato slices upright in rows, packed snugly together, instead of layering them flat like a lasagna. Jack says this soaks up the cream more evenly.

6. 6

   Pour the cheesy cream evenly over the potatoes so it runs down between the slices.

7. 7

   Cover tightly with foil (or parchment) and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.

   1 hr 20 min
8. 8

   Test the middle with a skewer. If the potatoes aren't tender all the way through, bake 20 minutes more, covered, and check again.

   20 min
9. 9

   Uncover, scatter the rest of the Comté over the top and bake another 20 to 30 minutes, until it's bubbling at the edges and crisp and golden on top.

   20 min
10. 10

    Let it rest 5 to 10 minutes so the cream sets, then top with chives and serve.

    5 min