Gratin dauphinois

Pour about two cups of cream into a large pot.

Add the garlic and season the cream with salt, pepper and about a quarter of a whole nutmeg, freshly grated.

Peel the potatoes and hold them in cold water to stop them browning; dry them before slicing.

Slice the potatoes on a mandolin, using the guard, about 2 mm thick, putting the slices into the cream as they are cut.

Add the remaining cream; the potatoes should not be fully covered.

Bring the cream to a boil over medium heat, stirring; the potato starch thickens it slightly.

Melt the butter, pour it into the gratin dish and grease the dish, removing any excess.

Taste the cream and adjust with a pinch of salt and a little more pepper.

Lift the potatoes into the gratin dish with a skimmer or slotted spoon, level them, and pour some of the cream over.

Grate the Gruyère and sprinkle it over the whole surface.

Set the dish on a cookie sheet lined with parchment to catch overflow and bake at 425F for about 30 minutes.

When golden brown, lower the oven to 350F and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.