Holiday Recipe: Potato Gratin with Onion and Thyme
The dish, originally published in 1991, can be prepared up to four days before serving.
By Ivan Dvorak ·
A 1991 recipe from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's archives offers a potato gratin option for Thanksgiving tables that can be made up to four days in advance. The dish, titled Potato Gratin with Onion and Thyme, serves four people and requires a total preparation time of 2 hours. Cooking takes 40 minutes, with an additional chilling time of 1 hour or more.
The article notes that while mashed potatoes remain the dominant side dish for adults and children, this gratin provides a sophisticated alternative. The recipe is designed to be reheated in the oven before serving, allowing cooks to focus on other sides. It can be covered and refrigerated for up to four days prior to the meal.
The text addresses the common confusion between scalloped potatoes, potatoes au gratin, and pommes dauphinoise. These terms have become interchangeable over time, similar to the distinction between dressing and stuffing. All three dishes involve thinly sliced potatoes layered in a casserole dish and baked until the crust turns golden and bubbly. The primary differences lie in the additional ingredients cooked alongside the potatoes.
Scalloped potatoes are typically made with a creamy sauce. Potatoes au gratin often include cheese or breadcrumbs. Pommes dauphinoise are a classic French dish that uses cream but typically excludes cheese and other additional elements. The author explains that the distinction has blurred, and modern processing has made potato slices easier to handle for these recipes.
The recipe for the gratin calls for 2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, and submerged in cold water. Other ingredients include salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, 2 teaspoons of butter or margarine divided, 1 small peeled and sliced onion, 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme, and 1 pint of heavy cream.
Preparation begins by soaking the potato slices in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight. If time is short, the slices can be rinsed thoroughly in cold running water. The potatoes are drained and spread on a kitchen towel, then patted dry. They are seasoned liberally with salt and pepper.
The oven is heated to 350 degrees. A 6-cup gratin dish is greased with 1 teaspoon of the butter. Half of the potato slices are placed in an even layer in the dish. The onion slices are layered on top, sprinkled with thyme, and topped with the remaining potato slices. The heavy cream is poured over the top, and the remaining butter is dotted on the surface.
The dish is baked for 40 minutes until the gratin is cooked through, brown, and bubbly on top. The article suggests that the gratin can be served immediately after baking or reheated later. For those who want to vary the dish, the text mentions that fresh herbs can be added or the breadcrumbs can be replaced with a different topping. The recipe was originally published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on November 8, 1991, and was adapted from a recipe by Alice McWilliams.
