Easy Gratin Dauphinois

My mother-in-law is from Dauphiné : 
Dauphiné is a province which includes 3 departments, called La Drôme, les Hautes Alpes and l'Isère. 
Geography books place this province in the east south of france. 

You have to know that, for each single person who live in the east south of france (what we call "le midi"), 100 kilometers above Marseille is not the south anymore. 

For us, Lyon, which is considered to be in the south, is truly in the north. 

In fact, you have to draw a line just across Montpellier. All above, it's north. 

For us, Lille (which is the city most in the north, near to Belgium) is considered to be North Pole ! 

My grand mother, who were born and lived in Algeria before coming to Marseille, used to tell me this short story : 

My grand father had a job opportunity in Lille, 40 years ago. Before accepting, they decided to visit the town... in november !

My grand mother told me : 

"Axelle ... I promise ... I never felt so cold in my life ! I had the feeling to walk in a freezer. I was obligated to go into stores to warm me up ! It was sunny, yet ! But tell me ... what is their sun used for ?".

Yes ... Because we don't have the same sun ... Their sun give them light. It gives us warm. ;)

Of course, all those jokes are for fun. It's a way to tease each other.

Some years ago, a famous french humorist made a movie called "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis" (Welcome to the Ch'tis, nickname given to the Nord/Pas de calais department's inhabitants - Lille).

The story was this one : 

A southern inhabitant made a mistake with his boss. This one can't fire him, so he send him in the north. Close to Lille. To punish him.

For this south man, his family and his friend, this is a real catastrophe ! 

Everyone complain with him. He decided to go over there alone and to come back in the south, for week end. 

Welcomed by his new team job, very friendly, he discovers that, in this department, sun is not in the sky but in the inhabitant's heart.

Little by little, he will begin to really love his north life but he won't dare to tell it to his family. No one could understand him ! 

It's a funny movie. 

Well, SO ... Because I'm losing myself talking and talking and talking ... 

STOP ME ! 

My mother-in-law is from Dauphiné ... and in this province, they cook the wonderful gratin dauphinois ! 

I'm going to give you here a recipe. Not THE recipe. Because each grand mother has THE recipe ... which is never the same from the neighboor ...

But, FOR SURE, please, please, please ... There's no cheese in gratin dauphinois. There's no mushroom, no ham, no parsley...Etc ...

This could be very good with all that, but it won't be a gratin dauphinois. 

It will be a potatoes gratin. But not a gratin dauphinois.

Some use milk and cream. I just used cream. Light cream.

Here's my recipe.

You'll need for 6 persons : 

• 2 kg of potatoes floury
• 120 cl of light cream.
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Salt, pepper.
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg powder (grated)
• A little bit of butter.

Oven preheated at 150°C (Th 5 / 300°F)

Step 1 :

In a bowl, pour the cream, the nutmeg and press one clove of garlic, salt and pepper and whisk it.

Step 2 : 

The longest part... Peel the potatoes and cut them in thin slices. If you've got a processor, use it. I don't ... And I regret it ! 

Very important point : Do not wash potatoes when they are peeled. We need the starch they contain.

Step 3 : 

Rub the dish with the second clove of garlic first and with butter in second.

You can press the rest of the garlic in your mixture. That's what I did.

Step 4 : 

Arrange the potatoes slices as you can. No matter.

Step 5 :

Pour the cream. It must cover the potatoes almost to the top.

Step 6 :

In the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes minimum ! It must cook a long time and slowly.

After 1h30, I stopped the oven but left the dish in it for 30 minutes more.

It's ready.

Believe me ... It was SO GOOD ! Potatoes were perfumed and fondant. 

Heaven ! 

Bon appétit.

Recapitulative for 6 persons :

• 2 kg of potatoes floury
• 120 cl of light cream.
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Salt, pepper.
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg powder (grated)
• A little bit of butter.

Oven preheated at 150°C (Th 5 / 300°F)

In a bowl, pour the cream, the nutmeg and press one clove of garlic, salt and pepper and whisk it.

Peel the potatoes and cut them in thin slices. 

Very important point : Do not wash potatoes when they are peeled. We need the starch they contain.

Rub the dish with the second clove of garlic first and with butter in second.

You can press the rest of the garlic in your mixture. That's what I did.

Arrange the potatoes slices as you can. No matter.

Pour the cream. It must cover the potatoes almost to the top.

In the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes minimum ! It must cook a long time and slowly.

After 1h30, I stopped the oven but left the dish in it for 30 minutes more.