Easy French potato gratin recipe without cream. Unlike the Gratin Dauphinois, thinly sliced scalloped potatoes are layered with cheese but milk/cream is replaced by chicken or beef stock (or vegetable for vegetarians).
Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/Gas 5.Wash the potatoes, pat dry and peel if you prefer. Slice them as thinly as you can, preferably using a slicer attachment of a food processor (if using a mandoline please use safety attachment and watch your fingers!) or with a good sharp knife.
Heat the chicken (beef or vegetable) stock, adding the nutmeg, pepper and salt.
Rub the baking dish with the clove of garlic and grease with some of the butter. Spread a uniformed layer of potatoes covering completely the bottom of the dish, then a fine layer of cheese. Continue layering like this until there's enough potato for the last layer. Pour over the hot stock, top with a final layer of cheese and dot with the remaining butter.
Bake for about 45 minutes until golden and the stock has disappeared into the fondant potatoes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Notes
Delicious served directly at the table with roast meats or chicken. If entertaining, I make double quantities in 2 gratin dishes, as this can go down well!Potatoes: pick waxy and all-round potatoes such as Charlotte, Desiree, Yukon Gold or Yellow – although, basically any potato I’ve tried works well (even floury potatoes, although waxy is best as their extra starch thickens in the stock). As Charlotte have a thin skin, I keep them on but if you prefer, peel potatoes.Stock Tip: use good quality stock over a stock cube if possible. Frozen stock or bouillon (fond de volaille/veau) is easily available in many French frozen food stores/supermarket sections. To make your own, add water to an empty carcasse of roast chicken and heat until the flavours mingle.Cheese: Ideally use a fruity French Emmental or Beaufort cheeses from the Savoie for an authentic Gratin Savoyard, otherwise Comté from the Jura - the equivalent in Switzerland is Gruyère.Nutrition per 276g serving: 24g protein; 74g carbohydrates; 23g lipids; Glycemic Index: 19