Potatoes Dauphinoise

1. Pour the double cream and milk into a large pan. Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves and add to the pan. Drop in the bay leaf. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Pop the pan on a medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and gently bubble for 5-10 mins, taking care not to let the mixture boil. Take off the heat and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and slice them as thinly as possible. If you have a mandoline or slicing attachment on your food processor, you can use that to speed up the process. The slices should be 3-4mm thick. Any thicker and they will take longer to cook.

3. Trim the root and any dry tips from the fennel bulb. Thinly slice the fennel. Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4.

4. Arrange layers of the potato and fennel slices in a large, shallow casserole dish or ovenproof dish. You don’t have to be too neat – just as long as you mix up the potatoes and the fennel. Remove the bay leaf from the cream, then pour the garlicky cream mixture over the potatoes. Gently press the potatoes down in the dish.

5. Pop a lid on the dish, or cover tightly with foil. Slide the potatoes into the oven and bake for 1 hr. Check the potatoes are ready by piercing them with a sharp knife – they should be tender. If not, cook for a little longer till they are. If the top is browning too quickly during cooking, cover the dish with the lid or foil again to stop them burning.

6. Remove from the oven. Leave the Potatoes Dauphinoise to stand at room temperature for 10 mins, then serve.

7. Love Your Leftovers
Any leftover Dauphinoise will keep in the dish in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the oven, covered with foil, or transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and reheat in the microwave till piping hot.