Potato Gratin

Today is Easter and we decided to keep things simple.  Ham, potato gratin, steamed asparagus and deviled eggs.  This is my all time favorite way to eat potatoes!  It is one of those amazing dishes that tastes soooo much more complicated and amazing, than the sum of its parts would indicate.

This gratin is creamy and cheesey, fragrant with garlic and  really crunchy chewy crispy cheese top!  Yum.

Don't worry about the amount of cream in this dish.  DO NOT SUBSTITUTE IT FOR HALF AND HALF OR MILK.   Just use cream.  Its bad for you, so what.  Its delicious, and its not like you are eating this three times a week!  Go ahead.  Make it.  Eat it.  You will be happy.

Potato Gratin
serves 8

3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced  very thinly
1 pound gruyere cheese (or Swiss cheese), grated
2 cloves garlic
salt
freshly grated nutmeg
1 3/4 cups heavy cream

Pre heat oven to 350 F.

In a large ceramic baking dish, crush two colves of peeled garlic, then rub entire inside of dish with garlic, leaving crushed garlic fragments in the bottom of the dish.  Add one layer of sliced potatoes, salt generously, sprinkle with nutmeg and 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat two more times until everything is used.  Slowly pour cream into center of gratin and let it percolate through the dish.  Bake, on foil, for one hour and 15 minutes until bubbling and potatoes are very tender.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.