Gratin Dauphinois (baked potatoes French-style) Made Easy

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There are lots of ways to make a gratin Dauphinois, that scrumptious French-style baked potatoes, all soft and mushy inside and with a nice golden crust on top...If you Google it, you'll find dozens of recipes. But after trying a few, here's the easiest way to do it, and also the best for your health: no cream, no full milk, just skim milk and next-to-no butter!

Here's how I do it.

Ingredients for 4


- 6 medium-sized potatoes, the baking kind (not the red-skinned variety that is good for frying; buy the brown/beige colored ones)
- skim milk to cover your sliced potatoes (about 1/2 litre)
- 5 to 6 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano cheese (you can use a mix of Parmigiano and Emmenthal)
- garlic
- a little butter (a teaspoon does it!)
- salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven at 200° or mark 6 (or whatever you use to properly roast a chicken)
2. Peel and slice the potatoes THINLY (use a mechanical cutter if you have one!). Do NOT wash but throw them directly into a bowl and cover with milk
3. Mix in the grated cheese, salt and pepper
4. Rub a pyrex dish (any baking dish that goes into the oven) with a peeled piece of garlic, then rub in butter
5. Pour your potatoes together with the milk into the baking dish
6. Sprinkle more grated cheese on top (at least 2 table spoons) and dot with (a little!) butter 
7. Put in your hot oven

Et voilà! That's all it takes, super easy! The dish is ready when the potatoes are soft through and through (check with a toothpick, it should sink in easily) and the top has turned into a golden crust!

This accompanies well any meat dish...