Simple potato dauphinoise?

[AlargeglassofwhatBorisIsOn]

Does anyone have a rule of thumb type recipe for the above? I've followed various recipes delia etc, but surely there are some simple rules to follow rather than being complicated? Do you par boil the pots first? Quantities of cream to milk etc? Mine always ends up watery if I don't follow a recipe! Any pointers?

I don't parboil the potatoes. I use half full-fat milk and half single cream, with lots of garlic and nutmeg. Then I put it in a pre-heated oven at 180° for about 80 minutes, depending on the size of the dish (the top must be nicely brown and the cream mixture thick). It tastes even better reheated on the next day.

I always have trouble with the milk/cream splitting - would love to know what causes it and if there are any failsafe ways of preventing it?

I use this one and it works every time and it's nice and simple.

I use Nigella's recipe where you boil the spuds with the milk, cream, onion and garlic in the saucepan and just finish it off in the oven. Works every time but the pan is a bitch to clean!

Thank you all! Will try your ideas, have also had the problem of cream and milk splitting.

Agree with simmering in the cream first then transferring to oven dish. I use a v old gordon ramsay recipe but TBH i mostly just make up the proportions. I think his recipe uses just single cream, no milk but i have successfully subbed double cream thinned down with some milk. Never had issues with splitting.

Splitting might be if you cook at too high a temperature, or if you add onions you need to soften them first or the acid can cause the milk to split.

I use half a pint each of cream and milk to 1kg of potatoes. I boil the sliced potatoes in the milk/ cream mixture until softened, stir in the softened onions and garlic, then cook for a minimum of an hour at 160c.

I've tried other recipes but always come back to this one.