French Potato Dauphinoise

This traditional French dish is my favourite potato dish apart from French fries. Although the classic Dauphinoise potato recipe is brimming with the fantastic flavours of cheese, garlic and thinly sliced potatoes, I do like to add my own creative twist. To make the creamy sauce just that little bit more ambrosial, I add very finely ground almonds. The taste goes to another dimension! Delicious!

Serves: 4 (easily)

Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients: 500g potatoes, thinly sliced - I recommend you use a mandolin to get very thin slices 25g finely ground almonds

For the sauce: 200ml crème fraîche 100ml semi-skimmed milk or a very good vegetable stock 3 cloves garlic, crushed Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 50g Gruyere cheese, grated 50g Parmesan cheese grated

Note: Omit cheese altogether if you want a healthier recipe or use half the quantity stated.

Vegan Sauce Alternative:

500 ml of unsweetened plant based milk (e.g. almond milk) 1 vegetable stock cube 1 onion, diced finely and fried in oil or veg. stock 1 heaped tablespoon of corn flour 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. 2. Place the sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from browning. Rinse, then pat dry with kitchen paper. 3. Place the crème fraîche, milk and garlic in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.

Or: For a vegan sauce, dissolve the cornflour and stock cube in a pan with the almond milk. Add the fried onions, bring to the boil and then simmer until thickened. Stir in the nutritional yeast.

4. Add the potatoes, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until just tender. Add the ground almonds and parmesan cheese (or omit), mix in well. Season to taste. 5. Transfer to a buttered/oiled oven proof dish and sprinkle over the Gruyere cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until golden. Serve either hot from the oven or at room temperature.

Et voila! the perfect Potato Dauphinoise!