Home » Course or Meal » Breakfast/Brunch » Gratin Dauphinois (a French Potato Side Dish) and Meeting a Culinary Idol: Anne Willan

Gratin Dauphinois (a French Potato Side Dish) and Meeting a Culinary Idol: Anne Willan

Gratin Dauphinois is a classic French potato side dish that is incredibly easy to make. I bet it will become a family favorite in your home.

gratin dauphinois

Last October, I met Anne Willan.

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I don’t know how many of you can relate to what it was like for me to meet Chef Anne Willan, but imagine being able to meet one of your long time favorite celebrities: I was over the moon! Use the jump to recipe button for the Gratin Dauphinois recipe.

Anne Willan and me

I own four of Anne Willan’s cookbooks, and had just bought her latest memoir, One Soufflé at a Time; when I met her she was kind enough to sign all five of my books!

Anne Willan and me

If you’re looking for an interesting life story, peppered with recipes which will make you want to run to your kitchen to start cooking, then you need to get your hands on this book! Anne Willan has lived one of the most fascinating lives, and it was just so captivating to read about her adventures, explorations and discoveries.

A Julia Child Favorite: Classic French Onion Soup

spoonful of French Onion Soup with melty cheese

Although she was born, raised and educated in England, Anne became one of the top authorities in French cooking, opening La Varenne cooking school in France, and becoming one of the most noted chefs the world has known. Did I fail to mention she was good friends with Julia Child?

close up of gratin dauphinois
Close up of Gratin Dauphinois

At the book signing, I also met award winning food columnist and cookbook authors Faye and Yakir Levy, who are such a lovely couple! My friend, Lana, of Bibberche was there, as well as my good friend, Cynthia who writes at What a Girl Eats.

With Faye Levy

Here’s a classic French recipe for madeleines!

Madeleines by Christina's Cucina

With my pal, Cynthia from What a Girl Eats (and no, we didn’t discuss what we were wearing!)

Cynthia and Christina

You’ll have noticed that I post lots of step by step photos in all of my recipe posts, here on my blog, and Anne Willan is the reason I do so. In her series of PERFECT cookbooks, she has so many beautiful and instructional photos, which I love to see when cooking or baking from a recipe, that I decided that when it comes to photos, that “less is not more”.

gratin dauphinois with lamb

I have been advised not to fill my blog with lots of photos, but I disagree, and will continue to plaster my posts with photos, because I like it that way.

Given that Anne worked with, and was friends with Julia Child, here is Julia’s recipe for Gratin Dauphinois.

Denise Vivaldo, Ann Willan and Patti Londre

A special thank you to Denise Vivaldo for inviting me to meet Chef Anne Willan, and Patti Londre for graciously hosting the event.

gratin dauphinois

Gratin Dauphinois

ever so slightly adapted from Julia Child’s recipe               serves 6-8

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

*Julia’s tips: thinly sliced potatoes and the dish (final product) shouldn’t be more than 2″ high

Preheat oven to 450F (230C)

Slice the potatoes into 1/8″ (or thinner) slices using a mandoline or a food processor. Put the potatoes into a large bowl of cold water.

slicing potato with a slicer

Put the milk into a saucepan and heat until hot, but not boiling. Remove from heat and add a minced clove of garlic, the salt and stir.

add hot milk to pan

If desired, add some freshly grated white pepper.

grating pepper into milk

Now add the potato slices to the milk.

adding potato slices to milk

Dot the top with the butter.

butter on top of raw gratin dauphinois

Bake gratin until very hot and brown on top, about 35 to 45 minutes.

gratin dauphinois

Serve while hot.

gratin dauphinois

It’s so good with this lamb and red bell pepper butter sauce!

gratin dauphinois with lamb

gratin dauphinois with lamb

Gratin Dauphinois (a French Potato Side Dish)

Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

A simple French side dish made with potatoes, milk and sometimes Gruyere cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of waxy potatoes, like Yukon gold
  • 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) milk (or milk and cream)
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 medium sized clove of garlic
  • white pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 Tbsp good quality butter
  • (Gruyere cheese, optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F (230C)

    1. Slice the potatoes into 1/8" (or thinner) slices using a mandoline or a food processor. Put the potatoes into a large bowl of cold water.
    2. Put the milk into a saucepan and heat until hot, but not boiling. Remove from heat and add a minced clove of garlic, the salt and stir. If desired, add some freshly grated white pepper.
    3. Now add the potato slices to the milk. Dot the top with the butter. Bake gratin until very hot and brown on top, about 35 to 45 minutes. Serve while hot.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 129Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 526mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information is only estimated.

Did you make this recipe?

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Only in LA…

Christina Conte in front of the Hollywood sign

Something I can check off my bucket list: I hiked up to the HOLLYWOOD sign today!

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