Serves 6

1 clove of garlic

500g potatoes

1 litre double cream

Salt and milled white pepper

A scant pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 tbsp finely grated gruyère cheese

Rub a large earthenware, ceramic or iron gratin dish with the clove of garlic. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Peel and wash the potatoes, before cutting them into neat rounds the thickness of a 2p piece. Rinse these slices copiously in cold water to remove the starch. Drain really well and place them in a large bowl, together with the cream. Season well with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix together well, making sure none of the potato slices are stuck to each other. Decant the mixture into the gratin dish, spreading the potatoes out evenly. They should be completely submerged in the cream. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and place in the oven.

The potatoes should poach very gently in the cream, which must not boil. The whole cooking process will take 2 hours, by which time the potatoes should be tender and the cream should be thick, although still liquid. Remove the foil, sprinkle the gratin with the cheese and glaze quickly under a hot grill.

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