The Humble Potato
Baked, boiled or mashed—potatoes fill and fortify
The starchy russet potato is the only one to use; it softens as it absorbs the milk and cream and thickens the gratin like no other.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 6 Serving(s)
- 2 pounds (about 3) large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
Preparation
Preheat oven to 275°F with a rack set in the middle of the oven. Arrange the potato slices slightly overlapping in layers in an 8-cup gratin or baking dish. Mix together the milk and cream in a bowl and pour it over the potatoes to just cover them (use a little more milk and/or cream if needed). Put the dish in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
Carefully remove the dish from the oven and generously season the potatoes with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Return the dish to the oven and bake until the liquid is thick and bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 1 hour.
Remove the gratin from the oven and let it set up for about 20 minutes before serving.
About this recipe
Courtesy of Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer, authors and collaborators of Canal House Cooking, and proprietors of Canal House Station in Milford.
From Hamilton and Hirsheimer’s most recent cookbook, Cook Something: Recipes to Rely On (Voracious, 2019).
