Serves 8 to 10
3 Cups Heavy Cream
1 Cup Half and Half
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
½ Teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg
2 Teaspoons Course Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
8 Ounces Gruyere Cheese, Shredded
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in the center.
Butter a 2 quart ceramic baking dish. I used my oval Le Creuset baking dish.
Peel and slice the potatoes 1/8″ thick and transfer to a bowl of cold water. To keep the potatoes from turning gray, add 1 tablespoons powdered vitamin C to the water.
In a large bottomed pan such as a dutch oven, over medium high heat bring the cream, half and half, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper to a boil. Drain the sliced potatoes well and add them to the cream mixture. (I drained my potatoes and then transferred them to a tea towel to be sure they were thoroughly drained.) Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and gently cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Move the potatoes around gently to be sure they are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
With a slotted spoon carefully transfer a third of the potato slices to the prepared backing dish, sprinkle with a third of the shredded cheese. Repeat with another third of potatoes and cheese. Spoon the rest of the potatoes on to the dish and pour as much of the cream mixture as possible to cover the potatoes. Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with the rest of the cheese. (At this point you can make the potatoes a day in advance and finish baking when ready to serve the next day. Cool the potatoes completely and refrigerate covered only with a piece of parchment paper. When ready to bake remove the potatoes from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for an hour before baking.)
Bake the potatoes uncovered in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are hot and bubbly and nicely browned on top.
Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving.
