Chicken bald back

[CatieB]

Someone must have one. DH would tell you that I'm a fairly good cook. However it's a running joke that I can't do these no matter how hard I try or follow recipes. And they are my favourite.

 

Here's an example. Last night I did delia's recipe which says an hour and half at 150. My Rayburn was at that temperature. They hadn't even begun to cook in that time. 3 hours later they weren't ready and after 4 they were ok but not very nice. I've tried this recipe many many times never with any success. I've tried cutting different thickness of potato, covering, uncovering, higher oven etc.

 

Sorry if ive posted this before i cant find it if i have. So please someone give me a foolproof recipe.

[Pearls007]

I did 3 times the quantity of Delia's recipe last week. Like you I have always had trouble with dauphinoise - this recipe included! Having cross referenced it with other recipes (including Nigella's bread sauce flavoured version). I brought the cream and seasoning and garlic etc. to the boil in the 30cm round shallow le creuset, and then just bunged in the potatoes - I just did a tidy top layer. I put it in the baking oven of the aga (so around 180) and it sat in there for around two and a half hours! But it worked - bet I'll never be able to do it again.............

[rachel19]

I tend to boil the potato slices first (must be a firm waxy potato for this) so that they;re mostly cooked. Then bung everything to gether and put in hot oven for half an hour. Greatly reduces the cooking time and always works for me!

[kinsk]

I've got a fantastic recipe at home, can dig it out for you this weekend.

[clucker1]

Tonight on BBC2 8pm I have just seen on the TV guide, the chefs are doing dauphinois potatoes. I will be watching as I have never got on with Delia's recipe either! It seems such a lovely dish and easy to do so why doesn't it work. Anyway, here is the linky bit:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nx2s0

[CatieB]

Thank you I have set the tv to record the program. I hope it helps.

 

Kinsk I'm hoping you can find that recipe as what I could really do with is a recommended recipe. My husband thinks it is hilarious that I can mess up a relatively simple dish no matter how hard I try.

[clucker1]

Me too Kinsk, I would be most grateful if it is no trouble to you. It is such a lovely dish and should be so easy peasy, but as far as I am concerned now, if so many of us can't get the recipe right, Aunty Delia has gone wrong somewhere. My husband and son (both NON cooks!!!) think it very funny I am watching a TV program tonight about dauphinois potatoes....but what do they know!!

[CatieB]

Oh no, we sat down with great enthusiasm. Wrong potato dish but

[clucker1]

I know, me too disappointed! Sorry to get your hopes up. Don't think my weekly culinary requirements need to meet potato deep fried in choux pastry or whatever it was. Meanwhile, I have looked at the BBC Good Food website and there are these recipes here:http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search.do?keywords=dauphinois. Perhaps whoever cooks it first should report back. Am doing mackerel tomorrow, so might have a go, pos in the slow cooker.

[clucker1]

Cooked tonight this dauphinois here's the linky http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/402620/dauphinoise-potatoes

I made half the quantity with half of the double cream for this smaller quantity and the rest whole milk, didn't want it too rich for mid week and that was all the double cream I had. Very tasty, will definitely do again. I think this quantity would serve 4 very hungry people. The 10yr old YS didn't like it much, so there is enough left for tomorrow's dinner.

[kinsk]

Found it. It's a Rosemary Shrager recipe I did on one of her courses and have done several times since.

 

Serves 4

 

1.2Kg of potatoes, peeled and very finely sliced

450ml double cream

50ml milk

1 clove of garlic, peeled

salt and pepper

20g butter

optional is 4 tblsp chopped parsley and 75g gruyere cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 160

 

Put the cream, milk and garlic clove into a pan, bring to the boil and remove from heat.

 

Remove the garlic clove and season very generously. It should taste salty as the potatoes will absorb all this. salting the liquid means you get an even distribution, rather than salting the layers of potatoes.

 

Use about half the butter to grease an oven proof dish.

 

Arrange the potatoes in the dish, you can sprinkle each layer with chopped parsley if you want, or for more traditional leave it out.

 

Pour a thin layer of the cream mix over each layer and carry on layering, pouring the remaining cream over.

 

Dot the top with the remaining butter. Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

 

Two options here:-

 

1. remove from the oven and using the back of a big spoon press down on the potatoes, sprinkle with the cheese if you want cheese and put back in the oven, uncovered this time for 30 mins. Take out of the oven and leave to settle for about 5 mins before serving.

 

2. To make it look really posh - remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly then cover with baking paper or similar, use some sort of weights to press down and chill. Cut into squares, or rounds, place on a buttered baking tray, sprinkle with the cheese, if using, and when ready return to the oven for 30 mins to heat through.

 

It sounds a bit of a faff, but it is a dish worth doing properly and as it can all be done so far in advance it really isn't that much of a faff

[..lay a little egg for me]

I saw Jamie Oliver do a quick dauphinoise potato dish in one of his super fast meal programmes. He part-cooked the sliced potatoes in the milk, garlic etc. and then tipped them out of the saucepan into the serving dish and finished it in the oven. That's how I do it now because I had exactly the same problem with the Delia recipe.

[clucker1]

and that is the same for the BBC good food recipe one too.