First made Easter 2013
This is a Tyler Florence recipe
1/2 cups heavy cream
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus more to finish
I used more fresh thyme since I love the taste
2 garlic coves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
unsalted butter
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8″-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling
Optional idea: Mary added Asiago and Le Gruyere cheese – to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
In a saucepan, heat up the cream with the bay leaves, thyme, garlic, nutmeg and some salt and pepper.
While the cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bay leaves and thyme from the cream. Pour the heated cream into a large bowl with the potato slices. Mix gently to coat the potatoes. Dust the Parmesan (and other cheeses is you opt to use them) over the potatoes. Season the mix with a bit of salt and pepper. Mix to gently incorporate. Spoon a little bit of the cream into the bottom of the casserole dish. Then spoon the potatoes in. (I layered the potatoes and cheeses). Level out the potatoes for uniform cooking time. Pour the remaining cream at the bottom of the bowl over the top. Top with some Parmesan and fresh thyme leaves. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, but pull back one corner for the steam to escape. Bake for 40 minutes.