Your holiday table needs these potatoes au gratin infused with delicious rosemary flavour and made even creamier with Comte cheese!
If I had my way I would eat potatoes every day! I am such a meat and potato lover. What can I say I was brought up by Russian parents!
Just to clarify don’t eat potatoes every days but when it comes to a holiday dinner potatoes of some kind are a non-negotiable item.
These rosemary potatoes au gratin are like a warm blanket on a rainy day. I want to crawl right in there and never leave. NEVER!!
Anyhow I make creamy potatoes au gratin a few times a year. They are always massively popular with Brad and I…Mitchell just got their beauty and Vika…well she is still learning to appreciate all food for all its worth.
How to add more flavour
Good question! To impart more flavour into my scalloped potatoes, I infused the cream, they are cooked in, with fresh rosemary, fresh bay leaf and garlic. And let me tell you, that extra teeny tiny step made a world of a difference!
Please don’t skip it because it will give your regular potatoes an oomph they always longed for.
I also topped them with sharp French Comté cheese, which I absolutely love, but any sharp cheese such as extra mature cheddar or gruyere will do the trick.
What potatoes should I use?
It depends on what you like. If you like firmer slices that keep their shape like I do, then go for waxy varieties like the red ones in the photo below.
But if you like your potatoes falling apart and blending into the sauce, then floury potato varieties like Maris Piper in the UK or Idaho and Russet in the US are for you.
Helpful Tips
We all know that in order for creamy potato gratin to cook well, the potatoes have to sliced thinly and evenly, which is a bit of a chore.
What makes this task much easier and faster is using a mandolin slicer or a food processor. When cooking a large dinner for holidays I always have my kitchen tools at the ready!
Main course recipes to serve with these scalloped potatoes:
- Blackcurrant compote glazed ham
- Pork roast with warm persimmon sauce
- Rosemary and thyme roast chicken
Ingredients
- 400 ml/ 1 ½ cups double cream/heavy cream
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 medium potatoes
- 50g/1/4 cup Comté cheese grated or Cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F/220C
- Slice your washed and unpeeled potatoes thinly with a mandoline slicer or with a sharp knife and put them in a bowl filled with cold water, set aside.
- Pour cream in a small saucepan and add fresh rosemary, a bay leaf, salt and a peeled garlic clove cut lengthwise. Slowly bring it to a boil to allow the cream to get infused with herbs and garlic. It should take about 7-10 minutes on low heat.
- Butter a 9" round pan and arrange well-drained potatoes slices in layers. Then pour hot cream over the potatoes while reserving ¼ cup of the cream.
- Cover with foil and cook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- Take the foil off and test for doneness with a knife, which should pierce them easily.
- Change the oven setting to broil/grill. Pour the rest of the cream over the potatoes and sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Broil/Grill for 2 more minutes until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned on top.
