What starch is never a dirty word...

With carbs taking a beating I felt it was time to celebrate the best of them, potatoes.

Not one but loads, thinly sliced and slowly baked in a rich garlic-flavoured cream. This dish is perfect cold-weather food.

The French classic is named after the Dauphine region where it is a speciality - and gratin is a culinary technique in which a dish is topped with breadcrumbs and butter or cheese and baked or finished off under a grill.

The original did not include cheese but like all good classics it has been re-interpreted over the years to include many things. There is nothing like an original and critical to the dish are the potatoes - the starchy baking variety that soak up the creamy juices during the long, slow bake.

GRATIN DAUPHINOIS

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• Butter for greasing plus 60ml (4 tbsp) extra
• 1kg baking potatoes
• 300ml full-cream milk
• 250ml (1 cup) cream
• 1 clove of garlic
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Salt and black pepper
• 200g gruyère or cheddar cheese, finely sliced, optional
• 25g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C and rub the base and sides of a 2-litre casserole dish with butter. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes using a sharp knife or a mandolin.

In a small pot combine the milk, cream, garlic and nutmeg. Bring to a gentle boil, pour through a sieve and set aside.

Layer the potatoes in the dish, topping each layer with pats of butter, a light seasoning of salt and pepper, and slices of gruyère or cheddar if using.

Pour over the milk and cream mixture. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and bake for an hour.

VARIATIONS:

• Replace half the potatoes with butternut, peeled and thinly sliced.
• For a less rich version, replace the cream with milk or use milk and crème fraîche.