Decadent treat food. Creamy, delicately textured and rich in flavour. Good enough to eat completely on their own and still feel delightedly fulfilled, but especially good with a medium-rare steak or a slice of garlicky roast lamb – and of course some steamed green beans or a pile of sauteed spinach. Feeds 4-6.
- 1kg large, waxy potatoes, peeled
- 20g unsalted butter
- 500ml double cream
- 150ml milk
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- Salt and black pepper
- Pre-heat oven to 150C fan (170C)
- Take a wide, shallow ceramic baking dish around 2 litres capacity and grease the inside generously with half the butter
- Slice the potatoes 2mm thick (ideally with a mandolin)
- Place the potatoes in the dish in orderly, overlapping layers
- Whisk the cream, milk and garlic. Season well and pour gently over the potatoes
- The cream should just cover the potatoes. If it doesn’t, add a touch more milk. Dot with the rest of the butter and pop in the oven
- Bake for 1-1½ hours until the top is bubbling and golden brown, and the potatoes are completely soft when you poke a thin, sharp knife down into the dish
- Remove from the oven and leave on the side for 15 mins before serving, to allow the potatoes to lose some of their molten heat and firm up a bit
Sophie cooks 