Creamy Potato Dauphinoise with Bacon

Ingredients

• 1.5kg potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 400ml double cream
• 200ml whole milk
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/5 tsp)
• 200g streaky bacon, cut into lardons
• 100g mature cheddar, grated
• 25g butter (to grease dish)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (for frying bacon)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Crusty sourdough bread, to serve
• Dressed green salad, to serve
• Fresh parsley, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan (190°C conventional). Grease a 23–25cm ovenproof dish generously with the butter. Fry the bacon lardons in the olive oil over medium-high heat until crisp, golden and rendered, about 6–8 minutes, then drain on kitchen paper — they want to stay crunchy for contrast against the creamy potatoes.
2. Whisk the double cream, milk, crushed garlic and nutmeg together in a jug with a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Taste the liquid: creamy, gently spiced and properly garlicky is the target, since this seasons the entire bake.
3. Layer the thinly sliced potatoes into the dish, overlapping each slice like roof tiles so the set holds together once cut, seasoning lightly between layers. Scatter a third of the bacon through the middle layers if you want it dispersed, then finish with a neat top layer of potato.
4. Pour the cream mixture slowly over the potatoes, letting it seep down between the slices; press the top gently with your palm so the liquid settles just below the surface. Scatter the grated cheddar evenly over the top, followed by the remaining crispy bacon.
5. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 25–30 minutes, until the top is deeply golden, the cream is bubbling at the edges and a knife slides into the centre with no resistance — about 70–75 minutes total.
6. Rest the dauphinoise for 10 minutes before serving so the cream sets and the layers hold their shape. The top should be crisp and burnished while the inside stays silky and melt-in-the-mouth. Serve with a simple green vegetable to cut the richness, finished with a squeeze of lemon and a scattering of parsley.