Best Potato Gratin

We Irish love our potatoes, and for many reasons, feel a very strong bond to the humble spud. It features on many the Irish dinner plate. But we have to hand it to the French, potato gratin or 'pommes de terre dauphinoise' is a pretty mean recipe to spruce up a potato. It is one of my very favourite ways to serve potato and it's a real treat. This recipe is always a winner for me and I hope you like it too.

Best potato gratin, served!

Ingredients:

• 700 g potatoes, peeled, washed and sliced very finely (about 4/5 potatoes- I like to use the good old rooster variety)
• Garlic cloves (to taste - for me, at least 5)
• Salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg
• 250 ml cream/milk mixture - I go with 150 ml cream and 100 ml milk
• 2 tbsp. butter
• A good grating of hard cheese e.g. Cheddar/Parmesan
• Fresh herbs e.g. rosemary, thyme (if available)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C/375 F/gas mark 5.
2. In an ovenproof baking dish, sprinkle the garlic, salt and pepper and add in the milk/cream mixture and the butter.
3. Place the dish in the oven to heat up and after about 3 - 5 minutes, when the milk is bubbling at the edges, remove it from the oven. 
4. Carefully place your potato slices into the dish and top with some more ground pepper and salt, a good grating of fresh nutmeg, a sprinkling of herbs and plenty of grated cheese.
5. Cover the dish with tinfoil and pop it in the oven for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and discard the tinfoil, if it seems a little low on liquid, drizzle a little more milk/cream on top.
7. Put the dish back in the oven, uncovered, to finish off for another 20 - 30 minutes until golden and crispy.
8. Done. Now all you need to do is, devour!

Top - Cheese overload, ready for the oven; Bottom photos - Best potato gratin, ready to be eaten