gratin, I pack them into a greased casserole dish standing on their edges, working my way around the perimeter of the dish and packing it all in tightly Because potatoes vary wildly in shape, you end up with tons of little nubby bits sticking out all over the top surface As the potatoes cook, the cream eventually starts to boil, simmering up and over the tops of the potatoes, basting them as they roast, aiding further in preventing them from getting leathery A final layer of cheese added halfway through the uncovered stage of cooking adds a layer of flavor to the final casserole During the final stages of cooking, the cream eventually loses enough moisture that it breaks, releasing its butterfat, which coats and then gets slowly absorbed into the potatoes as they continue to lose water content Milk proteins in the cream and the cheese coagulate, creating little pockets of curd-like tenderness between slices The final dish is nothing short of glorious Look at it I mean, look at it Every bite has a combination of crisp-but-moist upper potato ridges and rich and creamy potatoes underneath with a cheese underscoring the whole affair.† It’s so good that I’ve decided to make this only in the middle of the night while my wife is fast asleep and finish it all myself, picking at the crispy cheesy bits around the edges of the casserole dish in the wee hours of the morning, leaving just enough to hint at the glory that it once contained What dear? What’s the lingering aroma of garlic and thyme in the air, you ask? Ah, well, you snooze you lose, hon CHEESY HASSELBACK POTATO GRATIN Because of variation in the shape of potatoes, the amount of potato that will fit into a single casserole dish varies Longer, thinner potatoes will fill a dish more than shorter, rounder potatoes When purchasing potatoes, buy a few extra in order to fill the dish if necessary Depending on the exact shape and size of the potatoes and the casserole dish, you may not need all of the cream mixture SERVES 8 3 ounces finely grated Comté or Gruyère cheese 2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 2 cups heavy cream 2 medium cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 to 4½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick on a mandoline slicer (7 to 8 medium, see the headnote) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F Combine the cheeses in a large bowl Transfer ⅓ of the cheese mixture to a separate bowl and ... thick on a mandoline slicer (7 to 8 medium, see the headnote) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F Combine the cheeses in a large bowl Transfer ⅓ of the cheese mixture to a separate bowl and... buy a few extra in order to fill the dish if necessary Depending on the exact shape and size of the potatoes and the casserole dish, you may not need all of the cream mixture SERVES 8 3 ounces finely grated Comté or Gruyère cheese...CHEESY HASSELBACK POTATO GRATIN Because of variation in the shape of potatoes, the amount of potato that will fit into a single casserole dish varies Longer, thinner potatoes will fill a dish more than shorter,