I’m very partial to potato… especially dreamy creamy dauphinoise. Its unbelievable richness is gorgeous, but it can hit your stomach like concrete and leave you feeling bloated.
So I was curious to try BBC Good Food’s low fat makeover of the classic side dish – it feels wrong to call it a side dish when it normally eclipses anything you put with it.
I thought I’d try it out on some of Sam’s friends who were coming over for an after-school tea date. It’s not a quick dish to make – you have to faff about a bit making the liquid and slicing the potatoes, but it IS worth it!
Arlo the human dustbin guzzled it down and let me tell you the grown ups were pretty pleased with it, but the kids didn’t really go for it. Luckily I’d cooked sticky sausages and broccoli to go with it which were happily demolished by the four year olds!
I would defintely recommend the dauph though – just not for picky kids!!! I’m not going to exaggerate and make out that it’s just as indulgent tasting as the lardy version, BUT it’s very tasty, pretty creamy and doesn’t leave you feeling the need to have a nap!
Not-so-lardy dauphinoise potatoes (BBC Good Food)
Serves 6. Prep 30 mins. Cook 1.5 hours
1 tsp olive oil
150ml semi-skimmed milk
1 plump garlic clove, peeled and halved
4 thyme sprigs, plus extra for sprinkling
1 bay leaf
1 shallot, roughly chopped
good pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1kg waxy potatoes (try Desiree)
140g full-fat creme fraiche
75ml vegetable stock
1 tsp thyme leaves
25g Gruyere or vegetarian alternative, grated
1. Heat the oven to 160’C/140’C Fan/Gas 3
Brush the oil over the bottom and sides of a 25 x 19 x 5cm ovenproof dish. Put the milk, garlic, 4 thyme sprigs, bay leaf and shallot into a saucepan. Bring just to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the nutmeg and a little pepper. Set aside to infuse.
2. Peel then slice the potatoes very thinly. Pat them dry. Layer half the slices in the dish, overlapping slightly, then season.
3. Strain the infused milk into a jug. Put the creme fraiche into a bowl, then gradually pour in the milk, whisking until smooth. Add the stock and thyme leaves. Return this liquid to the jug, then pour half of it over the potatoes in the dish. Layer up the rest of the potatoes, then add remaining liquid, the cheese and a grind of pepper. Sit the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 1.5 hours until golden and tender – test by inserting a sharp knife through the potatoes. Stand for 5 mins before serving, sprinkled with thyme sprigs.
Sticky sausages
To make a nice sticky glaze for the sausages I melted the end of a crystalised jar of runny honey in the microwave and stirred in some dijon mustard and ketchup. I then poured it all over the tray of sausages, let it sit for a while in the fridge and then bunged them in a hot oven for about 35 minutes. Completely delicious. Works really well on cocktail sausages for parties.
