There is nothing better than creamy, garlicky dauphinoise potatoes, right? Well, now there is! This recipe adds some delicious, extra ingredients to a traditional potato dauphinoise to create an incredible dish to serve alongside a roast dinner.
Give it a try – I promise you will love it!
This is a rich, creamy and decadent dish. Lean into it, and enjoy. Especially good for a Christmas dinner.
What are potato dauphinoise?
Potato dauphinoise, or potato au gratin, is potatoes cut into thin slices, layered with garlic and cooked slowly with cream and garlic to create a luxurious and insanely delicious potato side dish.
I have a standard potato dauphinoise recipe combined with my slow roast leg of lamb recipe here, Check that out and give it a go if you’ve never tried traditional potato dauphinoise BUT if you do, make sure you then come straight back here and try this one because it is an absolute winner!
Why Welsh style?
My nain (my Welsh grandmother) was an absolutely incredible cook. She made some amazing Welsh dishes which sit happily in my memory. I always love to make dishes inspired by her – and this one is.
The idea for the Welsh dauphinoise potatoes came from a recent dinner of Anglesey eggs. Anglesey eggs are fab – boiled eggs with leeks in a cheese sauce. They’re so comforting. They also often have a base of mashed potato.
When I decided to make slow cooked lamb today, I wanted a dish to go with it. Potato dauphinoise is best friends with slow cooked lamb, so that was a given, but I spotted some lovely looking leeks in the greengrocers. I wondered – what will happen if I combine creamy leeks with potato dauphinoise? The deli had Caerphilly cheese, so the dish was decided.
Making Welsh Style Potato Dauphinoise (Potato au Gratin)
When you have peeled and sliced your potatoes (which I know can be an annoying task – outsource to a family member if you can), it is very low effort to make this welsh style potato dauphinoise.
You simply compile the ingredients in a dish and pop in the oven. It can cook at a low temperature for an hour and a half if you’re slow cooking a joint of meat, or at 180C for an hour. Really easy! Serve with your roast meat and The Most Incredible Stir Fried Kale and you’re onto a winner!
The Ingredients
The two ingredients that make this ‘Welsh style’ are leeks and Caerphilly cheese. Leeks are key – I wouldn’t switch these out for anything else.
I’m aware that you might not be able to find Caerphilly cheese, though. Not to worry, you could sub it in this recipe with a crumbly Lancashire cheese, if you can get one or, alternatively, go for a mature cheddar.
Welsh Style Dauphinoise Potatoes (Potato au Gratin)
Ingredients
- 4 large white potatoes
- 2 leeks
- 2 cloves garlic
- 300 ml double cream
- 100 grams Caerphilly cheese, grated (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180?
- Peel your potatoes and slice thinly. You will want slices approx 2-3mm wide.
- Peel and crush your garlic cloves.
- Prepare your leeks by removing the ends and peeling off the outer layer. Cut in half lengthways then slice into 5mm half moons.
- Get a 30cm x 20cm baking dish. Put a single layer of potato slices at the bottom, and cover with a thin layer of leeks (scatter the leeks with your finger tips, undoing the leek layers). Season with a little salt and pepper and 1/4 of the crushed garlic.
- Repeat until you reach the top of the dish, finishing with a layer of potato.
- Pour the cream carefully over the potatoes and leeks. Top with the grated cheese.
- Cook in the oven for 1 hour at 180?. If your oven is already on at 150? for slow cooking meat, you can keep it at that temperature and cook this dish for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Keep an eye during the cooking time – if the top looks like it is colouring too much, cover it with tin foil.
More side dishes for roast dinners:
- Creamy Bread Sauce
- Classic Braised Red Cabbage
- Potato Gratin with Pancetta
- The Best Cauliflower Cheese
- Carrot and Potato Gratin
- Creamy Potato and Leek Gratin
- Incredible Truffle Mash
- The Most Incredible Stir Fried Kale