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a small everyday baking dish of overlapping pale potato rounds and soft leek pieces in thick cream with a lightly browned top and a scoop missing at one edge, with no cheese crust, ham, crumbs or garnish
Andre Lewis

Scalloped Potatoes

Give thin potato slices a head start in the cream before they reach the baking dish. This version uses soft leeks and the potatoes' own starch to thicken the sauce, with no cheese or flour. Stir gently during the simmer so the bottom doesn't catch and the rounds keep their shape. Once the dish leaves the oven, let the layers settle before lifting a spoonful; bubbling cream is too loose to judge while it is still racing around the edges.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
  • 1 large leek white and light green parts thinly sliced and washed well
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter divided
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a shallow 2-quart baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the butter. Drain washed leek slices very well.
  2. Melt remaining butter in a wide heavy saucepan over medium heat and cook leek for 7 minutes until soft without browning. Add cream, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg and bring just to a simmer.
  3. Add the freshly sliced potatoes without rinsing away their starch. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, lifting and turning the slices carefully, until the sauce lightly thickens and the outer edges of the potatoes soften.
  4. Transfer potatoes and cream to the baking dish, spreading the slices into even layers. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  5. Uncover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and a thin knife slides easily through the center. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.