Scalloped potato recipe needed...

[Jason H]

Anyone have a recipe worthy of Christmas Day? I’m going to a large gathering and was tasked with bringing this dish, it needs to be spectacular and I’ve never made it before. Oh my... As for skill level, I’m not a pro but better than the average household cook. Thanks!

[jacko9]

Here's one from Julia Child's that I used last year and will use again this year.

http://www.recipetineats.com/julia-chil ... tato-bake/

I did use gruyere cheese and did add fresh thyme leaves from my herb garden.

jack

[Jason H]

Well thanks! As I search around, I can see that gruyere is popular in the gourmet versions.

[Lepus]

I would suggest using a thin cheese sauce rather than straight cream as your liquid in that recipe. Start with flour and butter. Cook until combined, smooth, and taking on a hint of color to make a blonde roux. Add cream and simmer to thicken, then remove the sauce from heat and add a little cheese. You don't want it as thick as a normal cheese sauce, just a little thicker than neat cream. Potato moisture can vary a lot depending on the type and even batch. If you rely on just the starch in the potato without having made the recipe a few times to get a feel for your moisture, you can end up with a soupy dish.

[jacko9]

I used Russet potato's and the tip from Lepus about making a cheese sauce sounds like the way to go. While the person that added the link I referred to suggested using a slicer for the potato's I used my HD2 240mm Gyuto because I just don't get to cook enough.

[Carter]

+1 just made Julia's recipe a few weeks ago...it's the standard. For Christmas Eve, doing the same basic recipe but with creamed onions...then baked potato and prime rib.

[jacko9]

Im going to make the Julia recipe for Christmas Eve as well along with a roasted Turkey and carrots with fresh Italian parsley. This time I'm going to European butter from Costco and see if that makes any difference.

[Jason H]

I do t want to ruin a beautiful recipe but thinking about adding a bit of sharp white cheddar and bleu cheese to add a bit of twang.

[Carter]

The chef who was a mentor to me said to always follow the recipe exactly the first and/or second time in order to get a baseline reference....then tweak as you want. The words always come back to me...can't say I have been the most disciplined disciples to his thought process, though I do agree with the theory.

[jacko9]

Carter, I think that I followed the recipe the first time and I added some medium cheddar the next time. I'm going back to the original recipe tomorrow with the exception of using the Irish butter.

[Bensbites]

The chef who was a mentor to me said to always follow the recipe exactly the first and/or second time in order to get a baseline reference....then tweak as you want. The words always come back to me...can't say I have been the most disciplined disciples to his thought process, though I do agree with the theory.

As a former lab rat (chemist) I learned the hard way it was almost always better to follow the new procedure the first time than to think you are smarter.

[jacko9]

The chef who was a mentor to me said to always follow the recipe exactly the first and/or second time in order to get a baseline reference....then tweak as you want. The words always come back to me...can't say I have been the most disciplined disciples to his thought process, though I do agree with the theory.

As a former lab rat (chemist) I learned the hard way it was almost always better to follow the new procedure the first time than to think you are smarter.

I agree and being an old guy, I have many years of mistakes following my hunches to prove your correct.

[Carter]

The chef who was a mentor to me said to always follow the recipe exactly the first and/or second time in order to get a baseline reference....then tweak as you want. The words always come back to me...can't say I have been the most disciplined disciples to his thought process, though I do agree with the theory.

As a former lab rat (chemist) I learned the hard way it was almost always better to follow the new procedure the first time than to think you are smarter.

I agree and being an old guy, I have many years of mistakes following my hunches to prove your correct.

Just telling what I learned, but being a fellow guy with some life experience, I agree. It is easier to stand on the shoulders of those before us....LOL.

[Jason H]

Well the consensus seems to be that I follow Julia Child’s recipe and not try to improve it. Lol...

[jacko9]

Yes and I can say that every time I make that dish there are no leftovers

[Jason H]

I just found something interesting..this recipe says it is based on Julia Childs, a quick search shows a multitude of variations based on her original but I can’t find the original from her cookbook?

[Carter]

I just found something interesting..this recipe says it is based on Julia Childs, a quick search shows a multitude of variations based on her original but I can’t find the original from her cookbook?

I have her books from 1961 Vol 1 of Mastering The Art Of French Cooking and The French Chef Cookbook from 1963....there are two different recipes of Gratin Dauphinois...the former book calls for 1 cup Swiss cheese, the latter does not...all else is basically the same....I would go with the former recipe personally.

[Bob Z]

Being an older guy that has home cooked for 30 years i have to second what Carter says about try the recipe first, then alter it. And what I also learned was never try a recipe for the first time with company.

[Jason H]

I just found something interesting..this recipe says it is based on Julia Childs, a quick search shows a multitude of variations based on her original but I can’t find the original from her cookbook?

I have her books from 1961 Vol 1 of Mastering The Art Of French Cooking and The French Chef Cookbook from 1963....there are two different recipes of Gratin Dauphinois...the former book calls for 1 cup Swiss cheese, the latter does not...all else is basically the same....I would go with the former recipe personally.

Well thank you! I love that a recipe was written that long ago and still remains relevant even after thousands of people trying to improve it. French cooking isn’t generally my thing but I need to find a copy of that book.

[Lepus]

My method of preparation is I promise a certain bet reached through trial and error. I don't think using straight cream is bad, but it relies entirely on a variable ingredient to thickness. I have had success with cream, but I have had failures. The writer of that blog post suggests certain potatoes that will help control liquid and starch content, but potatoes can vary from bag to bag. When making a new dish that needs to come out right the first time, I would rather control starch and liquid a bit more directly.

The first recipe from a Google search is pretty similar to what I would do: http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/sca ... toes-85629. At work we use cornstarch to thicken gratin.