Recipe #232: Potatoes Dauphinoise

I normally post recipes that are main dishes, but here's a side to go with any meat.  I made these with my beloved lamb chops (fried on the stove after coming to room temp with light olive oil, garlic powder, and dried thyme, 4 minutes per side or so).  I poured this soupy slop into the casserole dish and it didn't look very pretty, but the result after cooking was amazing.  So much flavor for a basic recipe!  This is from the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/).  My changes/comments are in red.  It made enough that tomorrow, I'll have leftovers to go with the fish I'm making.

Ingredients

• 1 kg/2lb 4oz baking potatoes, peeled and placed in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from browning (use floury potatoes such as Russet,King Edward, Maris Piper or Desiree) (I used Idaho- that's all that was available.... four of them was just about the right weight)
• 3-4 cloves garlic (I also supplemented with a little garlic powder)
• 500ml/17½fl oz double cream (you may need a bit extra)  (This is about 2.5 cups.  I didn't use that much)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/Gas 2.  (320F is sort of an unusual mark for us, but trust me, this is correct.)
2. Slice the potatoes into thin slices, about 3mm/⅛in thick. Place the slices into a bowl as you cut them. (Make sure your knife is nice and sharp!  Put water into the bowl to keep them from browning, and then dump the water before the next step.)
3. Trim the ends off the garlic cloves but don't peel. Grate the cloves on a grater. The flesh will go through the fine holes and the skins will be left behind. Scrape the grated garlic flesh into the bowl with the potatoes.  (I didn't think there was enough garlic, so I shook on some garlic powder too.)
4. Season the potatoes, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Pour the cream over the potatoes and mix well again.
6. Place the potato slices into the gratin dish. They should come to just below the top of the dish. Press the potato down with the back of a spoon or your hands so it forms a solid layer. The cream should come to just below the top layer of potato (top up with more double cream if necessary).  (I put these into a 9x13 ceramic casserole and they came up to about half way.  Only pour as much cream as needed for it to not be swamped.  I didn't use the full 2.5 cups.... maybe less than 2)
7. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1-1½ hours, or until the potatoes are completely tender. (If the cream looks like it's splitting, your oven is too hot, so turn it down a bit.)  (After about an hour, stab a fork into the dish and grab one to see how done it is.  Mine were good after about an hour 15.)
8. Serve the dauphinoise as a side dish to roasted meat or poultry.  (My lamb chops, of course)