French Scalloped Potatoes
from French: Delicious Classic Cuisine Made Easy by Carole Clements & Elizabeth Wolf Cohen

These potatoes taste far richer than you would expect even with only a little cream - they are delicious with just about everything such as roasted poultry or other meat, but in France, they are nearly always served with roast lamb. They compliment any meat that arrives to the table sans sauce. The potatoes are extra moist and luscious.

Faith note: the bay leaf is fairly pronounced in this recipe. If you would like less of this flavor, use half a leaf and/or remove it before putting the potatoes in the oven. Otherwise, this potato dish is very good and different. I have seen other recipes that call for a little Comté, Gruyère, or Emmental cheese sprinkled on top before baking.

2 1/4 pounds boiling potatoes
3 2/3 cups milk
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1 - 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 or 3 clove garlic, very finely chopped
3 - 4 Tbsp. crème fraîche or heavy cream (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes into fairly thin slices.

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and pour over the milk, adding more to cover if needed. Add the salt and pepper, nutmeg and the bay leaf. Bring slowly to a boil over medium heat and simmer about 15 minutes until the potatoes just start to soften, but are not completely cooked, and the milk has thickened.

Generously butter a 14-inch oval gratin dish or an 8-cup shallow baking dish and sprinkle the garlic over the base.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to the gratin or baking dish. Taste the milk and adjust the seasoning, then pour off enough milk to come just to the surface of the potatoes, but not cover them. Spoon a thin layer of cream over the top, or, if you prefer, add more of the thickened milk to cover.

Bake the potatoes for about 1 hour until the milk is absorbed and the top is a deep golden brown.

Cook's tip: If cooked ahead, this dish will keep hot in a warm oven, if necessary, for an hour or so without suffering; moisten the top with a little extra cream, if you like.

Serves 6