Gratin Dauphinoise

From Gordon Ramsay's F Word Cookbook

4-6 Servings

a little olive oil
200ml whole milk
200ml double cream
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1kg waxy potatoes (I used Desiree)
200g medium Cheddar, grated
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius/gas mark 6.
Put milk, cream, bay leaf and garlic in a pan. Heat until simmering and leave aside to cool.
Peel and finely slice potatoes.
Scatter one third of the cheese the bottom of a baking dish and cover with a layer of potato slices, overlapping them slightly. Season generously with salt and pepper. Continue layering until you've used all the cheese and potatoes, seasoning the layers and finishing with cheese,
Strain the milk mixture, discarding the bay leaf and garlic. Pour over potatoes until it comes to 2/3 of the way up the side of the dish.
Gently press down the potatoes to help them absorb the liquid.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 35-40 minutes.