Lisa’s family favourite dauphinoise with pancetta and thyme
John and Lisa are preparing the perfect meal for a special night In.
They start with scallops served with crispy bacon and a cauliflower puree; before moving onto truffle butter stuffed roast chicken.
On the side are Lisa’s simply delicious dauphinoise potatoes and some charred cabbage.
And there’s a dessert worth taking your time over - a chocolate and almond tart with amaretti biscuits.
Dauphinoise with pancetta and thyme
Serves 6 - 8
Ingredients
130g cubed pancetta
1 clove garlic, smashed
50g butter, plus extra for greasing
1.5kg large waxy potatoes (ideally Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled and thinly sliced
6 sprigs thyme, leaves picked off
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
300ml chicken (or vegetable) stock
150ml double cream
Salt and pepper
100g grated Gruyère (optional)
Method
1. Heat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan. Add the pancetta and thyme into a cold pan, and then fry on a medium heat for 5 minutes until crisp. Meanwhile rub the inside of a baking dish with the smashed clove of garlic then grease generously with softened butter. Then combine the cream into the chicken (or vegetable) stock into a jug and mix together, and set aside.
2. Put a layer of sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish and top with a few pieces of pancetta, a few knobs of butter, a few rings of sliced onion then season with salt and pepper. Repeat the layers, finishing with a final layer of potatoes.
3. Slowly pour your stock and cream mix over the potatoes. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and then bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until then potatoes are tender.
4. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving.