To get the best cream au gratin potatoes, I pre-cook them.
It will then be much easier to get the right balance with salt and other spices you may add.
In this recipe for homemade cream au gratin potatoes, I have used fennel, but feel free to try whatever you like.
The secret behind the best cream au gratin potatoes is to pre-cook them. That way they absorb the sauce better, become tender faster in the oven, and you don’t have to bake them for 2 hours.
Fennel is the small, unusual touch that lifts this from an everyday side dish to something your guests will notice. The aniseed flavour turns mild when fennel is heated, and it goes surprisingly well with creamy potatoes.
Creamy potato gratin with fennel is a luxurious side dish that goes perfectly with meat or fish. The mild aniseed flavour of fennel gives an exciting twist to the classic potato gratin.
Tips and variations
- Pre-cooking time: about 20 minutes simmering gently in the milk and cream. The potatoes should still have a slight bite, not be fully tender, before they go into the oven.
- Don’t want to use fennel? Swap it for onion, leek or shallots.
- Grated Gruyère or Jarlsberg on top gives a lovely golden crust.
- Can be made a few hours before serving and reheated, the flavour actually gets better.
- Add a clove of garlic to the cream for extra depth.
- Slice the potatoes thin and even using a mandolin, about 2 to 3 mm thick, for even cooking throughout.
- Simmer the potato slices gently in the cream on the stovetop before baking to ensure they cook through completely.
- Add grated parmesan on top in the last few minutes for an extra crispy golden crust.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, use onion instead, or make it the classic way without vegetables. The dish also works brilliantly with just cream and cheese.
Waxy potatoes such as Mandel or Kerr’s Pink hold their shape better than floury potatoes. Avoid floury varieties such as Beate, as they can fall apart.
Absolutely, gratins are almost better the next day. Cover with foil and refrigerate. Reheat in the oven at 160°C for 20 to 25 minutes.
The potatoes must be sliced thin and evenly. Cover with foil and cook longer at a lower temperature if they are still hard.
Gruyère and Emmental are classic choices that melt beautifully. Comté is an excellent alternative and parmesan on top gives a crispy finish.
🍷 Wine pairing
Chardonnay: A rich, creamy gratin needs a wine with enough body to match. A white Burgundy, such as a Mâcon-Villages or Saint-Véran, brings minerality and fresh acidity that balances the cream and the anise notes of fennel.
Alternative: A Viognier from the Rhône Valley adds floral notes that complement the fennel beautifully.
For updates, follow the blog on these social media platforms:
Cream au gratin potatoes
When you pre-cook the potatoes, you get better control of the taste.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Cut potatoes and fennel into slices, here I use a mandolin.
-
Boil milk and cream in a saucepan.
-
Add the potato and fennel and simmer for 20 min.
-
Set the oven to 225 °C.
-
Stir a few times and season with salt, the potatoes are done when they still have a slight bite.
-
Grate the cheese.
-
Pour the potatoes and cream into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with cheese.
-
Put the dish in the oven and leave it for approx. 10 minutes or until the cheese has a nice colour.
Notes
Tips: Slice the potatoes into even thin slices with a mandolin for perfect cooking time and even gratinating. Butter the dish well so the bottom does not stick.
Storage: Keeps in the fridge for 3 days and tastes good reheated in the oven at 160°C.
Variations: Add thin slices of onion between the potato layers, or grated gruyère for a richer gratin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 449 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 33 g
- Protein
- 14 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Saturated fat
- 18 g
- Polyunsaturated fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated fat
- 8 g
- Cholesterol
- 94 mg
- Sodium
- 245 mg
- Potassium
- 916 mg
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.