I may well have found my favourite form of potato. Don't get me wrong, I love a crispy roast potato (especially *these* maple syrup roasties I enjoyed recently at a Waitrose Christmas Together event). But with this potato dish, you can have crispy, creamy, salty and tender all at the same time. It's the perfect winter warmer - I can't think of anything more comforting that I'd rather have on a cold, dark evening.
Potatoes, drenched in garlic infused cream (there is a fair bit of cream, but i promise it is worth the naughtiness!), made complete with a sprinkling of nutty gruyere cheese. It is unbeatable as an accompaniment to roast lamb when served bubbling and hot, topped with crispy bacon and laced with salty anchovies to cut through the cream. Floury potatoes work best here, as they soak up the delicious cream. The liquid would roll off waxy potatoes too easily.
I wrote this recipe for Waitrose as part of a Martha Bakes column on cheese, where my whole baked cauliflower cheese also features.
Martha's potato dauphinoise
Ingredients
1kg Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes, peeled
450ml double cream
150ml whole milk
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4-5 anchovies, from a jar, drained
4 rashers smoked streaky bacon
50g Gruyère cheese, grated
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Slice the potatoes into thin discs using a mandolin, food processor with a slicing attachment or a sharp knife.
2. Pour the cream and milk into a large pan and add the garlic and a few grinds of black pepper. Simmer, then add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until they start to soften.
3. When the potatoes are partly softened, layer the mixture into a large rectangular baking tin (I use a 28cm x 33cm tin), scattering the anchovies between the layers, and pouring any remaining cream over. Lay the bacon strips over the top of the dauphinoise and sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and the top is golden brown. Serve immediately.