We had potato gratin twice while we were in Paris, and I vowed to up my game with my version at home.
I often use my mom’s simple recipe which calls for flour and milk (very little butter), but after chipping away at the browned, buttery crusts formed by both the versions I had in Paris, I knew it was the fat factor that made the difference.
I consulted two recipes, one from Julia Child and the other from Dorie Greenspan. I went with Dorie’s simply because I was eager to try some recipes from her book, Around My French Table (a gift from my mother-in-law).
Her version was perfect right down to the decadent, bubbly brown crust. It called for 1 3/4 cup of heavy cream (!), so I’m not surprised. I’m replacing mashed potatoes with this for Thanksgiving.
I found a digital version of her recipe over at Bon Appetit.
