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Potatoes dauphinois: what to do, when Julia and Jacques give different instructions?!

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    Potatoes dauphinois: what to do, when Julia and Jacques give different instructions?!

    I’m going to make potatoes dauphinois tonight, which I’ve made before; that’s a pretty big payoff for a pretty easy recipe, just by the way. You slice potatoes, layer them with Swiss cheese, cover them in milk and garlic, and bake them. Then top with more cheese.

    Anyhow, even though I got a handle on this, I like to check for other variations; you never know, y’know? Adding bacon wouldn’t hurt, for example. I found a variation that mixes in sliced carrots.

    So, checking different variations, I have Julia Child’s version, from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This is really close to what I’ve always done, except Julia actually makes a note to rinse the potatoes in cold water, to remove excess starch! Okay then, as Jacques Pèpin often says!

    Since I have Jacques Pèpin’s Essential Pèpin, let’s look… oh. Jacques says, and actually makes a note, to NOT rinse the potatoes in cold water, because it removes all the starch, and the starch helps bind everything together!

    Also, Julia uses milk; Jacques uses heavy cream. Julia uses cheese; Jacques lists it as an optional variation. Julia uses baking potatoes, Jacques uses Yukon Gold. (That’s where I think the difference lies, russets are starchier by far.)

    I know what I’m going to do here. I’m not really looking for advice, I’m just sharing a laugh. They were such a great team when they worked together! I’m going to use Yukon Gold because that’s what I have, skip the rinse, use the cheese, mince the garlic instead of rub the dish with it, and I’m going to use half and half because that’s what I have.

    Here it is, this is how I make them:

    2 lbs potatoes, sliced 1/8”
    2 cloves minced garlic
    1 1/2 cups half and half
    2 cups or so of cheese (Gruyère is specified, but I’m going to use either Jarlsberg or cheddar, haven’t decided)
    half a stick of butter
    salt and pepper

    Preheat oven to 425°. Mix the half and half with salt, pepper, and the minced garlic. Butter a 2” deep 10”x10” baking dish.* Layer 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom. Dot them with butter, layer 1/3 of the cheese. Then potatoes, butter cheese, potatoes, butter. (Hold back 1/3 of the cheese.) pour the half and half mixture over the top, and bake until the potatoes in the center are soft. Then top with the leftover cheese, and run it under the broiler until the cheese is a little bit browned.

    * 9”x13” works, too, but you might only get 2 layers.

    Even writing this out is waaaaay more complicated than actually making it. It’s layering potatoes and butter and cheese in a dish, adding salt and pepper milk and garlic, and baking it. The payoff is huge compared to the work. And, proportions can vary. You might need more liquid, or less. You might need more cheese, or have some left over (not likely, but hey). None of that is important. If you were in France, making potatoes and cheese, you’d figure it out!

    #2
    Interesting, two greats with opposing methods. I'd be tempted to make half portions of each way and taste test both side by side.

    Comment


      #3
      Thanks for posting this my friend. I always love these comparisons as I do the same thing when trying to work out what recipe or combination of recipes to use for a given cook. Then I, like you, have to tweak it further based on what ingredients I have available. It is always interesting trying to work out, as you did, why a certain recipe is recommending x over y, and what different flavors we are adding with a more extensive ingredient list. Then you tweak the cook itself and end up with a “perfect” outcome.

      You were able to describe that entire process in a very entertaining way. Kudos and have fun!

      Comment


      • Mosca
        Mosca commented
        Editing a comment
        I had 3 lbs of potatoes, so I used 3 cups of cheese, 3 garlic, etc; there’s no way I’m going to hold 3 small potatoes out. The liquid didn’t seem like enough, so I splashed some milk in at the end. I’ll post it up when I’m done.

      #4
      Winner, winner, goes with chicken dinner (or JC's perennial Coq au Vin).

      Comment


        #5
        neither, try Dauphinoise Potatoes Recipe | Martha Stewart

        Comment


        • Mosca
          Mosca commented
          Editing a comment
          Not enough cheese. Nutmeg is disgusting.

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