{"id":165538,"title":"Gratin Dauphinois in the Air Fryer","modified":"2026-08-25T15:07:56+02:00","plain":"Thinly sliced potatoes, milk, cream, a hint of garlic and nutmeg, and 40 minutes at 160 \u00b0C in the basket.\n\n\n\nOpen the basket and you\u2019re greeted by a top mottled with gold and brown, with the aroma of hot cream and garlic rising before the dish even reaches the table. Underneath, the slices have melted into one another without losing their shape, and the tip of a knife slips through the center effortlessly. No cheese, no b\u00e9chamel : just potatoes, milk, and cream coming together. For a two-serving gratin, the air fryer makes far more sense than turning on a full-size oven.\n\n\n\nAnother potato dish that cooks beautifully in the basket : air fryer baby potatoes.\n\n\n\nWhat is gratin dauphinois?\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s made with raw potatoes sliced 2 to 3 mm thick, milk, pouring cream, garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and a little butter to grease the dish. The word gratin refers to the crust that forms on the surface. \u201cDauphinois\u201d ties the dish to the Dauphin\u00e9, in southeastern France.\n\n\n\nCheese has no place in it. Add grated Gruy\u00e8re on top and you have a gratin savoyard, which is a different dish. The thickening doesn\u2019t come from egg or flour either : it\u2019s the starch released by the potato slices that thickens the milk and cream as they cook. Which leads to the rule that surprises people most : never rinse the potatoes after slicing them.\n\n\n\nAnother French classic that works beautifully in the basket : air fryer quiche.\n\n\n\nFrom the Dauphin\u00e9 to the air fryer basket\n\n\n\nThe dish comes from the Dauphin\u00e9, where it was made with whatever was on hand : potatoes, milk, cream, and a few aromatics. It was served piping hot, straight from the baking dish, alongside roasted meats and family meals.\n\n\n\nThe air fryer changes the scale rather than the recipe. Two portions in a small dish, 40 minutes at 160 \u00b0C, and convection that browns the top faster than a conventional oven. The proportions and the method, however, stay the same.\n\n\n\nThe perfect roast to serve with it : air fryer pork roast.\n\n\n\nMain ingredients in gratin dauphinois\n\n\n\n500 g of firm-fleshed potatoes that turn meltingly tender as they cook form the layers and provide the starch that binds everything together. Princesse Amandine, Charlotte, and Belle de Fontenay hold their shape well when sliced. Bintje gives a creamier but more delicate result, while floury varieties tend to fall apart. Slice them evenly to 2 or 3 mm, preferably with a mandoline.\n\n\n\n10 cl of milk and 15 cl of pouring cream make up the liquid base. Milk alone gives a lighter texture that slices more neatly; the cream adds the fat that stabilizes it. Distribute the 6 pinches of salt, 6 turns of pepper, and 6 pinches of nutmeg layer by layer, otherwise the center will taste bland and the surface overly salty.\n\n\n\nThe half clove of garlic is for rubbing the dish, not for adding to it : at 160 \u00b0C, chopped garlic burns and turns bitter. The 5 g of butter coats the base and sides, makes serving easier, and helps the crust brown.\n\n\n\nTechnical pointers\n\n\n\nThe dish itself is key. Use ceramic, Pyrex, or silicone that can withstand 200 \u00b0C, small enough to let air circulate around it, and shallow enough to sit about 2 cm below the heating element.\n\n\n\nThe liquid should just come up to the level of the potatoes, not submerge them. Too little, and the edges dry out. Too much, and the cream won\u2019t thicken properly.\n\n\n\nIf the top browns too quickly, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil secured tightly to the rim of the dish, otherwise the airflow will lift it.\n\n\n\nThe only reliable test is the tip of a knife inserted into the center : it should slide in without resistance. The color on top tells you nothing about the middle.\n\n\n\nAnother vegetable that gratins beautifully in the basket : air fryer cauliflower.\n\n\n\nLet it cool slightly before serving : the cream sets and the portions hold together. To reheat, give it 8 to 10 minutes at 140 \u00b0C, then 2 minutes at 160 \u00b0C to crisp up the top again.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tAir Fryer Gratin Dauphinois\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tPotatoes500 g firm, waxy potatoesFor the baking dish0,5 clove garlic5 g butterSeasoning6 pinches ground nutmeg6 pinches salt6 grinds black pepperCream mixture10 cl milk15 cl heavy cream\t\n\t\n\t\tPreparationWash and peel the potatoes.Slice the potatoes very thinly with a mandoline or a very sharp knife. Do not rinse the slices after cutting.Rub the baking dish with the half clove of garlic, then butter the bottom and sides.AssemblyArrange a layer of potato slices, overlapping them slightly, then season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Repeat, alternating layers and seasoning, until all the potatoes are used.Mix the milk and cream in a bowl, then pour over just until the liquid comes level with the top layer of potatoes.Air fryer cookingPlace the dish in the air fryer basket and cook for 40 minutes at 160 \u00b0C.Check for doneness with the tip of a knife: it should slide into the center without resistance. If not, continue cooking.FinishingLet the gratin cool slightly for a few minutes before serving, directly in the baking dish.\t\n\t\n\t\tChoosing the dish: use an air fryer-safe dish (ceramic, Pyrex-style glass, silicone rated up to 200 \u00b0C, or an aluminum tray). Leave about 2 cm between the surface of the gratin and the top heating element to prevent the top from burning.\nDo not rinse the slices: the starch is the only binder (no egg or flour), and it helps the milk-and-cream mixture thicken as it cooks.\nSlice thickness: aim for even slices 2 to 3 mm thick (a mandoline helps a lot): uneven slices lead to uneven cooking.\nLiquid level: it should just come level with the top layer. Too much liquid makes the gratin boil and turn \u201csoupy\u201d; too little dries out the top.\nGarlic: rub the dish with garlic rather than adding minced garlic, which can burn and turn bitter.\nIf the top browns too quickly: cover with aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes, then uncover to let a crust form.\nDoneness test: the only reliable indicator is the tip of a knife inserted into the center; it should slide through without resistance.\nReheating: reheat at 140 \u00b0C for 8 to 10 min, then finish at 160 \u00b0C for the last 2 minutes to crisp it back up.\nGood to know: a traditional gratin dauphinois does not contain cheese; its golden color comes from the cream and the starch.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tPlat principalFran\u00e7aise","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165538\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}