a potato bake for the weekend and a giveaway winner

 Comfort food can be a good idea for this dreary end of winter season; a favourite comforter in our home is the traditional French Gratin Dauphinois.  Sliced potatoes in cream,  cooked long and slow in the oven until the cream is absorbed and the potatoes just melt in your mouth.

Another easy recipe, here the ingredients are for a good sized shallow oven dish.  Ostensibly for 8, but with the appetites around my table I reckon on 6 servings!

2kg or 5 pounds of potatoes

2/3 cloves of garlic

2 cups of cream or cream and milk mix

100 g butter

salt and pepper

grated nutmeg

  Peel and slice thinly the potatoes, but don't rinse them, the starch in the potatoes adds to the creaminess of the dish.

In a pan heat the cream or the cream and milk mix, drop in the potatoes slices and let them cook, very gently,  for less than 10 minutes.

Rub the garlic and part of the butter around your oven dish, then pour the potatoes and cream into the dish, making sure that there is enough cream to cover the potatoes.  Cut the remaining butter into little cubes and dot over the surface.  (I know, I know, I never said this was a slimming dish!)

 Bake in a preheated oven (180°, gas mark 4) for about an hour.  The top should be crispy golden brown, and the potatoes soft and creamy.  

This dish is perfect with red meat and a good side salad.

Finally, I am happy to announce that the winner of the Parisienne Farmgirl giveaway is Jeanne of I Dream Of.    If you don't know her lovely blog, then I invite you to pop over and say hello.   And Jeanne, if you want to email me with your address you'll receive your scented candle and the subscription to the Parisienne Farmgirl magazine!  Lucky girl!!

I hope you all have something wonderful planned for this weekend, thank you for reading me, à demain!