Advice on time for cooking potatoes au gratin?
So, I was following a recipe in an Amish cookbook that was pretty minimal on details:
Baked Pork Chops
Put a layer of thinly sliced potatoes into a baking dish, and cover them with shredded onions, salt and pepper. Lay over this as many pork chops as needed, seasoned well on both sides. Add enough milk to moisten the ingredients, then bake them at 400° until done.
(note, the rest of the most of the other recipes have ingredient amounts, baking time, etc ... but this is kinda like one of those assembled church / military wives club / etc cookbooks where there's lots of different recipes and some are of a different style)
Now, I admit, I didn't realize until after the pork was cooked that I had set the oven to 350°F and not 400°F ... but as I had remembered problems in the past with cooking potato au gratin before, and it taking a really long time, I opted to use two dishes, so the layered potatoes weren't more than 2 cm (~3/4 inch) thick, and the second dish was au gratin, without the pork, and with cheese added between layers. (I broke out the mandolin, and had maybe 1mm thick slices).
Now, it might've been that because I cut the potatoes so thin that testing for doneness with a knife just didn't work ... so I went and looked up recipes online to see if I could find a pattern between time/temperature/thickness of the potato slices/thickness of the assembled layer ... and I'm at a loss, as there are a lot of recipes that don't even mention what size baking dish to use, so they'd end up with different layered thicknesses, and some don't mention the thicknes of the slices to use.
Is there some formula to use? If there isn't, and I just have to go by sticking a knife in it 'til it comes out easily (or is that a bad test?), are there any tips so it doesn't take almost 2 hrs to cook?
Best Answer
Microwave the potatoes before putting them in the oven for about 7 minutes(start with 5 minutes, add 30 seconds every time till done), covered with a little water (very little, couple of spoons full)(potatoes whole or sliced)
Make sure you're not using a 'heavy' oven dish, glass ones can taka a long time to heat up. Place the oven dish into the oven while heating and add a drop of oil. When you put in the potatoes you should hear a little 'hiss' indicating the termperature is right.
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How do you know when gratin is cooked?
You'll know they're done when a paring knife can be easily slipped into the center of the casserole and the top is browned and crisped. Cool the whole dish for at least 10 minutes before scooping and serving.Can you overcook au gratin potatoes?
Do not overcook them till they are soggy and falling apart -0 this is just a pre cook. Every few minutes, GENTLY turn the potatoes in the pan using a large spatula. Use care not to break the potatoes.How long does it take to cook scalloped potatoes at 275 degrees?
How long does it take to cook scalloped potatoes at 275 degrees? At 275F, it will take 3 hours to cook scalloped potatoes.How do I know when my scalloped potatoes are done?
Cook only until potatoes are tender And neither will make for an appealing dish. Instead, cook the dish gently just until the potatoes are fork-tender. With this simple trick, you'll know that your scalloped potatoes are perfectly cooked.The Very Best Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe
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Answer 2
I find that soaking my sliced potato with the cream or milk or stock depending on the richness you desire with seasoning,melted butter helps. The pregnated potato seems to cook a lot quicker and I will generally cover with foil as the steaming process seems to help as well with time. I still think the knife test is still generally the best as hot spots in the oven may undercook a section in your dish. I don't think slice thickness matters except that thinner creates a better texture and finish appeal on the plate.
Answer 3
I cut slices of about 0.5 - 0.75 cm and I put them in the oven (with sauce of course) for about 45 - 60 min. If your slices are 2 cm I would try at 1.5 hour, but I have no notice of any formula.
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