FOOD NEWS
What Actually Are Dauphinoise Potatoes?
By Elias Nash
If you have a special gathering of your closest friends coming up and want to impress them with a rich and decadent dish, dauphinoise potatoes are your answer.
Dauphinoise potatoes are a mixture of thin potato slices with garlic-infused cream sauce layered in a casserole dish and then baked until the top is crisp and golden.
It's a menu staple at bistros throughout France and abroad, an ideal side dish to accompany steaks, beef tenderloin, roasted chicken, or just about any meat main you can think of.
Although similar to scalloped potatoes and potato gratin, the use of garlic sets dauphinoise potatoes apart. It's a key flavor added to the cream sauce as it simmers.
Most modern recipes call for Yukon Gold potatoes because their high starch content can soak up the dauphinoise cream sauce without losing its shape and turning mushy.
While most contemporary recipes use grated Gruyere, a classic dauphinoise doesn't incorporate cheese, making the top layer of saucy potatoes nice and crispy.