[javadog]

Okay, first slice the potatoes with a mandolin, to get them the same thickness, maybe 1/8 inch. Bring some milk to a boil, seasoned with salt, pepper, nutmeg and a bouquet garni. Add the potatoes and simmer until nearly done. Drain them, taking care not to break them into pieces. You may add some cream during the last half of the cooking process, or wait until later.

Get a glass baking dish, or gratin dish, and rub the inside with cut garlic, then butter. Layer the potatoes, seasoning each layer as you go with salt and pepper. You might sprinkle a little gruyere cheese on each layer. Use a good quality imported cheese, not the usual supermarket crap.

Try to pack the potatoes in very tightly, with small gaps. When done, add some cream and top with more cheese. If your gaps are too big, you'll need more cream and the dish will be too runny. The idea is to have the cream pretty well incorporated into the potates when done. Bake at 400, loosely covered. The last few minutes, broil the cheese on top to a golden brown, if you want. I usually don't want a crust, but that's up to you.

I'd omit the onions, for sure. If you want more of a garlic flavor, add a few pieces when boiling the potatoes.

Another variation is to slice the potatoes uber thin and bake them with alternating layers of goat cheese and cream, salt and pepper. In this case, you want maybe 20 to 30 layers of potatoes, laid very carefully into a baking dish. Using the right goat cheese is important. You don't want a strong one. Do it right and it will be the best potato dish you'll ever eat. Do it wrong and you'll feed it to the dogs.

JR