Potatoes are life as far as I’m concerned and this cheese and herb potato gratin, whilst a little bit of work and effort to make is worth it. It’s melting, cheesy, creamy, and full of soft potato deliciousness. I pull this out for when I’m feeding lots of people and there are never any leftovers. It can also be prepped and made the day before and cooked when you need it.
This serves 4-6 people and you will need:
600ml/20fl oz semi-skimmed milk
3 garlic cloves chopped
3 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs, plus extra to garnish
400ml/14fl oz double cream
900g/2lb waxy potatoes, scrubbed or peeled and thinly sliced
50g/1¾oz Parmesan, finely grated (or any other strong hard style cheese can work too)
50g/1¾oz Gruyère, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
You will also need a large three-inch deep baking dish or casserole dish greased with olive oil or butter. Set your oven to 210 degrees. You’ll also need a very large saucepan.
First thing is to infuse your milk. Pour the milk into your saucepan and add the herbs and garlic. Heat it up until it’s just about to come to the boil then turn it off and leave it to sit for one hour. Remove the herbs and any skin that’s formed.
Then take cream and add it to the milk. Stir well and salt and pepper to taste.
Tip the sliced potatoes into the pan and stir well so they are covered in cream and milk.
Turn on the heat and allow it to come to the boil again and as soon as it does, turn it off.
Take a layer of potatoes from the pan and spread them onto the base of your greased dish. Make sure it’s even. Then add a layer of your grated cheeses. Take some of the milk from the pan and carefully pour it over the layer.
Then add another layer of potato and cheese. Pour the remaining milk mixture over the top and cover with greased tin foil.
Bake covered for 45 minutes then remove the foil and bake uncovered for a further 30 minutes.
This works well with meat dishes, fish dishes salads, or even as a main course on its own. It can be reheated but if you have any leftovers to reheat, I’ll be very surprised!
We also have a goat’s cheese and courgette potato gratin recipe you might like too.