Bay and Garlic Dauphinoise Potatoes

Name: Bay and Garlic Dauphinoise Potatoes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 4 as a side
Ingredients: 800 g Peeled potatoes, a variety suitable for baking; 200 ml Double cream, bought separately; 150 g Crème fraîche, bought separately; 0.2–0.3 g Whole dried bay leaves, about 2 small leaves; use weight as the guide, from the 50 g pack; 5 g Garlic, about 1 large clove, lightly crushed; 20 g Unsalted butter: 5 g for the dish, 15 g for the top; 3 g Fine salt; 0.3 g Freshly ground black pepper, bought separately

Golden edges and softly layered creaminess

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Thinly layered cream-baked potatoes with golden edges and a Xianyitang bay leaves 50 g pack behind; no hard leaves in the finished dish

Thin potato slices soak up bay- and garlic-infused cream, with golden crisp edges above a tender, creamy centre. Serve alongside a Sunday roast, pan-fried fish or a festive main course.

Serves4 as a side

Soaking / prepAbout 25–30 min, including 10 min infusion

CookingBake about 70–90 min; rest another 10 min

Total timeAbout 1 hr 45 min–2 hr 10 min

Allow for infusing the cream, slicing and arranging the potatoes, baking and a 10-minute rest. No soaking is needed; check that the thickest part is tender.

Potatoes, double cream, crème fraîche, a little butter, garlic and two small dried bay leaves with their 50 g pack

Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.

Ingredients

Peeled potatoes, a variety suitable for baking 800 g
Double cream, bought separately 200 ml
Crème fraîche, bought separately 150 g
Whole dried bay leaves, about 2 small leaves; use weight as the guide, from the 50 g pack 0.2–0.3 g
Garlic, about 1 large clove, lightly crushed 5 g
Unsalted butter: 5 g for the dish, 15 g for the top 20 g
Fine salt 3 g
Freshly ground black pepper, bought separately 0.3 g

Method

Infuse the cream

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Grease an approximately 18 × 24 cm, 4 cm deep baking dish with 5 g butter. Rinse and dry the bay leaves. Warm them with garlic and double cream over low heat for about 2–3 minutes until steaming, without a rolling boil. Cover off the heat for 10 minutes. Strain out all leaves and garlic, then whisk in crème fraîche, salt and pepper.

Whole dried bay leaves and garlic gently infusing in warm cream, with a fine strainer ready

Slice and arrange

Weigh 800 g after peeling and cut into even 2–3 mm slices. Do not rinse away their surface starch. Use the guard if using a mandoline. Arrange small stacks closely in the dish, slightly tilted, keeping an even depth rather than piling whole chunks high. Pour over the warm seasoned cream, gently shake so it reaches between slices and dot with 15 g butter. Leave at least 1 cm below the rim.

Even 2–3 mm potato slices arranged closely in a dish as strained cream is poured between them

Bake until tender in the centre

Bake on the middle shelf with a tray below to catch possible drips. After about 60–75 minutes, insert a small knife into the centre and thicker areas: it should slide through easily with no firm core. If the top browns before the middle is tender, cover loosely with foil and continue in 10–15 minute intervals until fully tender.

Colour and rest

If tender but pale, increase to 200°C/180°C fan for another 10–15 minutes, until edges are golden and sauce is gently bubbling. Skip this hotter stage if already well browned. Rest for 10 minutes before serving hot, allowing the sauce to settle. The bay leaves have been removed; do not add hard leaves as an edible garnish.

Cooking tips

Difficulty: easy; even thin slices and a tender-centre check matter more than one fixed baking time.
Double cream, crème fraîche and a little butter provide richness, while the starch on the slices helps thicken the sauce.
Use only about 0.2–0.3 g bay from the 50 g pack. Remove all whole leaves after infusing.
Inspired by Barney Desmazery’s dauphinoise, adapted for four side portions. A deeper or more densely filled dish can take longer to bake.

Allergens

Contains milk. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.

Storage and reheating

Best freshly baked. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate at 5°C or below within 2 hours and eat within 48 hours or freeze. Reheat only once until steaming hot in the centre; cover small portions in the oven, then uncover briefly to refresh the top. Follow dairy use-by dates.

Shop the Xianyitang ingredients for this recipe

Actual Xianyitang packaging: Dried Bay Leaves 50 g — Actual packaging reference · See product links for pack sizes

Dried Bay Leaves 50 g