Danish Potato Gratin with Caraway

About This Recipe

This potato gratin leans on caraway, a spice deeply woven into Danish and broader Nordic cooking, especially in rye bread and cheese, giving a simple cream-baked potato dish a distinct, faintly anise-like warmth that sets it apart from a plain French-style gratin. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with a light cream sauce infused with toasted caraway seeds, baked until the top turns golden and the potatoes soften into a tender, cohesive dish. The technique that matters is toasting the caraway seeds briefly before adding them to the cream, a step that noticeably wakes up their aromatic oils compared to using them straight from the jar. Slicing the potatoes to an even, thin thickness ensures the whole dish cooks through at the same rate, since thicker slices can leave parts of the gratin undercooked by the time the top has browned. Served as a hearty side to roasted pork or fish, this gratin reflects Denmark's straightforward approach to comfort food, relying on a well-chosen spice and careful technique rather than a long ingredient list.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 kgpotatoes(peeled, thinly sliced)
• 1.5 tbspcaraway seeds(toasted)
• 1.5 cupsheavy cream
• 0.5 cupmilk
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.25 tspwhite pepper
• 1 cupgrated cheese(such as gouda or Danish havarti)
• 2 tbspbutter

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the caraway

   Toast caraway seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

2. 2

   Warm the cream

   Warm cream, milk, garlic, toasted caraway, salt and pepper together in a saucepan until just simmering.

3. 3

   Layer the gratin

   Arrange potato slices in overlapping layers in a buttered baking dish.

   Slice the potatoes to an even thin thickness — uneven slices lead to parts of the gratin being under or overcooked.

4. 4

   Add the cream

   Pour the warm cream mixture evenly over the potatoes, pressing down gently so it seeps between the layers.

5. 5

   Bake

   Cover with foil and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 30 minutes, then uncover, scatter cheese on top, dot with butter, and bake another 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbling.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Rest 10 minutes before serving, letting the cream set slightly.

Variations

• •

  Add thinly sliced leek between the potato layers for extra sweetness and depth.

• •

  Swap heavy cream for a mix of cream and stock for a slightly lighter version.

• •

  Add crumbled bacon on top before the final bake for a smokier, heartier dish.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat covered in a 160°C oven until warmed through, as the cream sauce can separate slightly if microwaved.

Frequently Asked Questions