by Metropol | March 4, 2026 8:35 am
Before Martha Stewart, Jo Seagar and Alison Holst, there was Julia Child. A ground-breaking gourmet chef, author and television personality Julia was the queen of French cuisine in 1960s America. Her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, now considered a culinary Bible, was a New York Times bestseller that has sold more than 1.5 million copies.
In 2009, her story was made into the hit Hollywood movie Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep, which sparked another buying frenzy of her book. One of Julia’s popular recipes was her adaptation of the French classic potatoes au gratin dauphinoise. The crème de la crème of potato recipes, it involves layer upon layer of finely sliced potatoes baked in cream, butter and cheese with a hint of fresh thyme. It’s luxurious and thoroughly indulgent. With potatoes now in season, there’s no better time to try out this adaptation of Julia’s recipe.
Fun fact, gratin means grated and dauphinoise refers to the origin of the dish, which is the Dauphiné region in southeastern France.
INGREDIENTS
• 375ml cream
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 30g unsalted butter, melted
• 1.25kg starchy potatoes, locally grown varieties include Agria, Red Rascal, and Ilam Hardy
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 250g gruyere cheese (colby, cheddar, havarti or tasty), freshly grated. It’s always best to grate your own as it melts better – shop-bought pre-shredded can contain anti-caking agents that prevent cheese from melting as well as it should.
• 2 tsp thyme leaves, fresh (optional but highly recommended)
METHOD
1. Cream mixture: Place butter, cream and garlic in a jug. Mix until combined.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C (both fan and standard ovens).
3. Slice potatoes: Peel the potatoes and slice them 3mm thick. Use a mandoline slicer to make it easier.
4. Layer 1: Spread one third of the potatoes in a baking dish (at least 18 x 26cm x 5cm), then pour over one third of the cream mixture, scatter with a third of the salt, pepper and thyme. Sprinkle with a quarter of the cheese.
5. Layers 2 and 3: Repeat for the second and third layer, but do not finish with cheese on the top layer (will add later).
6. Cover and bake: Cover with lid or foil, and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the potatoes in the middle are soft (use knife to test), it might take 90 minutes. Baking time will differ depending on shape of dish, depth of potatoes, etc.
7. Top with cheese, bake again: Remove foil, top with cheese. Bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until golden and bubbly. Stand 5 minutes before serving. Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Do not use a waxy potato. Waxy potatoes are the kind used for potato salads; if used in potatoes au gratin, the layers tend to slip apart.
Source URL: https://metropol.co.nz/potatoes-au-gratin-dauphinoise/
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