By
Jane Curran
published
Our creamy potato bake is a South African favourite. You’ll find people tucking into this tasty potato dish at every good braai. This creamy potato bake is similar to a Dauphinoise, but uses a béchamel sauce instead of cream. The result is a potato gratin that is lighter and lower in calories, with a more firm texture. Our creamy potato bake is so easy to make and is a crowd pleasing and comforting side dish. You can cook this the day before and reheat in the microwave or covered in a low oven until heated through.
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY POTATO BAKE
Ingredients
- 750g potatoes, unpeeled and finely sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)
- 1 red onion, sliced into rounds using a mandolin
For the sauce:
- 600ml milk
- 1 onion, halved
- 3 bay leaves
- handful black peppercorns
- 50g butter
- 50g plain flour
You will need:
- a gratin dish, buttered
Method
- Start by making the sauce. Gently heat the milk in a pan with the onion, bay and peppercorns. Set aside, covered, to infuse for 1 hr. Strain. Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for a few mins on a low heat. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and thickened.
- Heat the oven to 220C. Tightly arrange a layer of potatoes on the base of the gratin dish, top with a layer of sauce, then top with red onion and season well. Repeat the layering process, finishing with a final layer of potatoes topped with sauce.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins, then reduce the heat to 180C. Remove the foil, and bake for another 45 mins until golden brown.
