Tour de France '20 - Stage 5: Gap to Privas.
Today's stage began in Gap, the birthplace of Gratin Dauphinois where the first mention of this dish dates back to 1788 when it was served at a ceremonial dinner for the town officials. Over time, it was downgraded to be classified as mere peasant food and now, as I refer to it: délicieuse.
Every Christmas Eve, my family gets together at my sister’s place and we all have a great, but simple, dinner. Some of the best dishes are simple ones: a few ingredients, given proper love, will sing a sweet lullaby to you on its way from your eyes into your tummy. Typically, my brother-in-law (a butcher) will serve up an awesome rib roast of beef and I will always make a trusty dish of potatoes au gratin with perfectly-sliced ⅛ inch potatoes. Everyone loves it and the recipe is often requested and I’m happy to oblige. But, as I tasted this recipe from Jacques Pepin’s Essential Pepin, I was pleasantly surprised to find a new variation to make for this year’s gathering. I’m not sure if it was the fresh potatoes from the local farmer’s market or if it was merely slicing them into slightly larger ¼ inch slices, but the potato notes really came through in this dish, unlike other gratins I’ve made before. My girls loved this dish and so will you, I guarantee it!
Before the recipe, which I’ve adapted from Essential Pepin, I want to talk about one of the OG’s of cooking, who I’ve learned so much from over the years, Jacques Pepin. “Grandpa Jacques”, as I refer to him with my little girls, has been on tv since I was a young boy. I watched him cook with Julia Child and on Everyday Cooking and then as I grew older again found myself coming back to him on PBS, whether it was Fast Food My Way or Essential Pepin. He has been a great teacher to me and the importance of free cooking classes, via free public television, is something that should not be overlooked either. This particular book, covers over 700 of his all-time favorites, but (even more importantly) also comes with a companion DVD of cooking and knife techniques which you can easily refer to at any moment. I too learned how to properly hold and use a knife from Jacques Pepin, and many, many other chefs by watching them on tv. So...tv’s not ALWAYS bad, just watch the good stuff and maybe we can have more culinary education and less garbage reality shows.
Gratin Dauphinois
Adapted from Essential Pepin, Jacques Pepin
Do not rinse or place the potatoes in any water. Once they’re peeled and sliced, you throw them directly into a pot and start cooking. When making a gratin, I always use a mandoline to ensure uniform slices and even cooking.
2.5 cups whole milk
3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
¾ tsp table salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1.75 lbs potato, preferably Yukon Gold or Butter Potatoes
1 cup heavy cream (separate from the whole milk)
½ cup grated gruyere cheese
Preheat the oven to 375. Combine the milk, garlic, salt & pepper in a pot and stir to combine. Peel and slice the potatoes, adding them to the pot with a gentle stir. Bring to a boil, stirring gently to avoid breaking any potato slices and preventing any burning of the milk. Transfer the contents of the pot into a 6-cup, buttered, gratin dish or a 13x9 pan. Pour the cream over the dish and sprinkle with the cheese. Place the gratin on a baking sheet and place on the middle rack in the oven and cook for an hour. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 20 minutes.
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