Gratin Dauphinoise Stacks

Ingredients

• Salt (Season the butter, cream, and finished stacks; the cream should taste slightly over-seasoned.)
• Butter (Use enough to generously coat the pan and infuse the cream.)
• Garlic (Slice very thinly; some is softened in the butter and some is layered with the potatoes.)
• Heavy cream (Warm gently with the garlic butter and thyme; do not reduce it.)
• Fresh thyme (Add half to the warm cream and pick the leaves from the remainder for layering.)
• Gruyère cheese (Use slices between the potato layers, a small piece in the center of each stack, and grated cheese on top.)
• Agria potatoes (Peel if desired, then slice into consistent pieces thick enough to fit the molds. Do not rinse; retain the starch.)
• Boiling water (Use for the bain-marie, adding enough to cover nearly all the potatoes except perhaps the top layer.)
• Chives (Use as the final garnish.)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare individual molds by removing the label from empty bean tins, washing out the bean liquid, and ensuring the tins are clean. The sealed bottoms make them suitable for cooking in a bain-marie. Cut small squares of greaseproof paper to use as micro-cartouches, and place one in the bottom of each mold so the finished stacks release cleanly.

2. 2

   Melt a generous amount of butter gently in a pan with a little salt. Do not let the butter brown.

3. 3

   Slice the garlic very thinly, preferably with a mandolin. Add it to the melted butter and cook gently for about 4–5 minutes, until softened and almost translucent but still with very little color.

4. 4

   Remove the softened garlic from the butter and reserve it for layering the potatoes.

5. 5

   Add the cream to the garlic-infused butter. Add half of the thyme and warm the cream gently. Keep it hot enough to activate the potato starch—above about 75°C—but do not reduce it. Season the cream generously; it should taste almost a little too salty because the potatoes themselves will receive less seasoning.

6. 6

   Prepare the potatoes. Peel them if desired, then cut them into consistent cross-sectional pieces that fit neatly inside the molds. Slice them on a mandolin into fairly thick, even slices. Do not rinse the slices, because their starch helps bind the terrines. Save any trimmings for another use, such as a Spanish omelet.

7. 7

   Pick the leaves from the remaining thyme and have the Gruyère ready in thin slices, a small block for the centers, and grated cheese for finishing.

8. 8

   Place a few potato slices into each prepared mold, using roughly three to four slices for the first layer.

9. 9

   Spoon a little of the hot garlic cream over the potatoes. Add a thin slice of Gruyère, some of the reserved softened garlic, and a little picked thyme.

10. 10

    Continue layering potatoes, cream, Gruyère, garlic, and thyme until the molds are nearly full. Press each layer down as you work so the potatoes remain completely submerged in the cream. Finish with potatoes and cream, but do not add cheese to the top at this stage because it would stick to the foil.

11. 11

    Pour boiling water into a roasting tin or other bain-marie vessel. Add enough water to come almost to the top of the potatoes, leaving perhaps only the uppermost layer uncovered.

12. 12

    Cover the molds so the stacks steam rather than roast directly. Carefully place the bain-marie in an oven preheated to 150°C and cook for about 45–50 minutes.

13. 13

    Check the potatoes with a cake tester or similar thin skewer. They are ready when it passes through with absolutely no resistance and the top has begun to turn light golden. Remove the molds from the water bath.

14. 14

    Lift the molds out of the bain-marie and lightly press the stacks down to make a neat shape. Chill them in the refrigerator until completely cold and set, about 40 minutes or longer as needed.

15. 15

    When cold, run a sharp knife around each stack to release it while preserving the caramelized, cheesy layer. Turn the mold over, push the stack out from the other side, and remove the greaseproof-paper micro-cartouche.

16. 16

    Using an apple corer, cut a hole about three-quarters of the way through each stack without breaking through the bottom. Insert a small piece of Gruyère into the center and replace the potato piece as a lid.

17. 17

    Grate a little more Gruyère over the top of each stack to cover the opening. Place the stacks on greaseproof paper so they do not stick to the tray.

18. 18

    Reheat the stacks in a preheated 180°C oven for about 10–15 minutes, until the exterior cheese is crisp and golden, the potato layers are hot and soft, and the center cheese is molten.

19. 19

    Finish with a little salt and a generous layer of chives. Serve hot from the oven.

Notes

The recipe does not provide exact ingredient quantities, so they should be scaled to the number and size of molds being used. The stacks can be prepared about 90% in advance and reheated in the oven just before serving. Avoid rinsing the potatoes, and do not let the garlic or butter brown. The source mentions that the stacks can also be made without the individual-tin presentation, using the same bain-marie and steaming technique.

Nutrition per serving

• side dish
• French
• vegetarian
• potato
• gratins
• baked
• cheesy
• make-ahead