This tart is based on the recipe for gratin dauphinois, which was developed over 300 years ago by Auguste Escoffier, one of the pioneers of French gastronomy. This recipe for tarte gratinée differs somewhat from the original as it contains a small amount of cheese and eggs. The idea behind using this version over the traditional one is because the cheese and eggs will help bind the tart together, making it a lot easier to serve, transforming this delicious, if somewhat messy, gratin into an easy-to-handle picnic treat.
Ingredients
- 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) cold Puff Pastry, 5 single turns
- 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) potatoes, such as russet (idaho), desiree or pontiac
- 24 fl oz (700 ml) whipping cream (35% fat)
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 teaspoons fine salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 eggs
- 5½ oz (150 g) gruyère cheese, grated
How to Make It
- You will need a 25 cm (10 in) tart ring or tart tin with a removable base. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface until 5 mm (¼ in) thick. Remember to keep moving the dough and dusting with extra flour when necessary so that it doesn’t stick to your work surface. Line the base and side of the tin with the pastry. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Remove the tin from the fridge and line the tart shell with foil, making sure the side of the shell is covered, then fill to the top with uncooked rice or baking beads. Blind bake for 20 minutes, or until the base of the tart shell is golden. Remove the rice and foil and set aside until cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (320°F).
- Meanwhile, peel, wash and dry the potatoes. Using a mandolin or the slicing attachment on a food processor, cut the potatoes into 2 mm (1/16 in) thin slices. You can use a large knife to slice the potatoes, but you need to make sure they are all the same thickness, to ensure the potato cooks evenly.
- Put the cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. As soon as the cream comes to the boil, remove from the heat and add the sliced potatoes. Cover with a lid and set aside for 15 minutes, or until cool to the touch, then pour the potatoes into a sieve placed over a bowl. Whisk the eggs into the cream mixture, then stir in half the gruyère.
- Starting from the outside edge, arrange the potato slices, slightly overlapping, around the circumference of the tin. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, working all the way to the middle of the tart. Place the tart on the oven shelf, then pour in the cream mixture, leaving the top edges of the potato slices exposed. Sprinkle the remaining gruyère over the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F) and bake for another 10–15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and the cheese is golden. To check if the potatoes are cooked, insert the tip of a paring knife into the tart if you feel any resistance, cook for another 5 minutes, then check again. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the tin. This is delicious served hot or cold, with a green salad tossed with a sharp vinegar dressing.