I'm Completely Smitten With Julia Child's Shredded Potato Gratin

I live in the midwest. That means a meal is not complete without a potato dish of some sort. My default is often roasted Yukon Gold potatoes simply because they’re easy and I can make them with my eyes closed. While roasted potatoes are my go-to, sometimes I want my potatoes to feel a little more fancy. I need a “wow” dish that I can bring to the table that has my guests clapping at the sight. 

I also don’t want it to be super complicated. There’s no way I’m julienning a bunch of potatoes or making a laborious sauce. Luckily, Julia Child always saves the day. Hold your applause (or don’t) because Julia’s shredded potato gratin is the fancy-ish potato dish you need in your life.

Tell Me More About This Shredded Potato Gratin

This dish, straight from the pages of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," is a beautiful combination of potatoes au gratin and rosti. Like rosti, the potatoes are peeled and coarsely grated. Then, like potatoes au gratin, the potatoes are baked in a luxurious sauce made with onion, cheese, eggs, cream, and the herbs of your choice. After 30 minutes in the oven, you’ve got a beautiful dish that tastes as good as it looks and smells.

Here’s How You Make It

You make the sauce first, and luckily it’s easy. Sauté onions briefly in butter and extra-virgin olive oil before adding them to a mixture of eggs, cream, parsley (or other herbs), salt, and Swiss cheese. 

Next, you’ll peel the potatoes and coarsely grate them. I used my food processor to help get the job done quickly. Add the potatoes to the egg mixture and then pour everything into a skillet or baking dish. Dot the top with butter and then bake the dish until the top is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

I’m Completely Smitten

I barely had the patience to let the potatoes cool down before trying them. The smell coming from my oven had me anxiously monitoring the few last minutes of baking. I think at one point I even muttered, “hurry up!” That’s how delicious they smelled. I took one semi-cooled-off bite and fell in love. 

This dish is all of the things that are good about cooking. Simple ingredients cooked together in a way that yields amazing results. The potatoes were tender and perfectly complemented by the garlic and onions. The crispy edge pieces are caramelized goodness and might be my favorite part.

Julia Child's Unusual Tip for Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Tips for Making These Potatoes

Julia’s recipe is perfectly written, but a few things might help with your success. First, get organized. You’ll have to sauté onions before adding them to the sauce. You can get them started right away. Keep the heat low and stir them occasionally so they don’t brown. 

As for the other sauce ingredients, have them prepped and ready to go before you start making the recipe. This will make it easier to just grab and dump. I found that my potatoes needed a bit more than a quarter teaspoon of salt, so I scattered another quarter teaspoon across the top before serving. I also wanted my potatoes a little more golden, so I kept them in the oven for 40 minutes.

How To Serve Julia’s Shredded Potato Gratin

I must admit, I would be tempted to just fill my plate with these potatoes and nothing else, but I know “balance” is important. That’s why I recommend serving these potatoes alongside roasted chicken, sauteed pork chops, or pan-seared salmon. Add a big green salad as a simple vegetable side and dinner is served!