Borné dans sa nature infini dans ses voeux, L'homme est un dieu tombé qui se souvient des cieux.
Limited in his nature, infinite in his desire, man is a fallen god who remembers heaven.
Alphonse de Lamartine
When it’s summertime, we look for restaurants with sunny outdoor terraces, in the middle of the action. The food is not crucial; the French do amazing luncheon salads, and with pommes frittes on the side, you can’t go wrong.
But when the summer breezes turn to chilly winds and the sun stubbornly hides behind gloomy gray clouds, we know exactly where we want to go: Chez Jack.
It’s called L’auberge de Jack, but toute le monde calls it Chez Jack. Jack is the chef, his wife works the front. Part of its charm is its lovely location, in the quiet little village of Milly-Lamartine, named after the famous French poet who was born there. You can take a small stroll and see the house where he was born.
This is French comfort food at it’s best, and all that goes with it. Madame is friendly, the ambiance is perfection for a country bistro, the food is hearty traditional Burgundian fare. Unusual for France, many dishes are served family style.
The dish that keeps calling us back there is that French classic, Gratin Dauphinois. This last sunday, Madame brought us a big steaming casserole for the table, in a dish that had seen plenty of action, hot from the oven. My friend Ali said, “But that’s huge, we’ll never eat it all!”. There wasn’t a bite left.
Here’s the best part: the menu changes daily (often a pot au feu, or a boeuf bourguigon), but if this side dish isn’t on le menu that day, you can request it when you make your reservation, and Monsieur Jack will make it just for you, anytime.
I wanted to copy it, so I went right to the expert: Clotilde, the Parisian cook over at the Chocolate & Zucchini blog. I started with her excellent recipe, and of course I’ve pimped those potatoes a bit (couldn’t resist adding some sautéed onions, and a sprinkling of parmesan). Not quite as the same as when you eat in in the warm and cozy Chez Jack, but le paradis nonetheless!
RECIPE: Jazzed up Gratin Dauphinois
Photo: The real deal, at Chez Jack
- 2 ½ lb kg (1 kilo) potatoes , a mix of waxy and baking potatoes
- 2 cups (500 ml) milk (whole or part-skim)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, sliced lengthwise
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Serves 6
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and rub the bottom and sides of a medium glass or Stoneware Au Gratin Dish (about 2 quarts/2 liters capacity) with the cut sides of the garlic clove.
Peel the potatoes, rinse them briefly, and slice them thinly and evenly (use a food processor or a Mandoline Slicer
Combine the potatoes, milk, salt and nutmeg in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, and keep simmering for 8 minutes, stirring the potatoes and scraping the bottom of the pan regularly to prevent sticking/scorching, until the potatoes are just tender but not falling apart. The milk will gradually thicken to a creamy consistency.
While the potatoes are simmering, sauté the onions in a little butter or olive oil until done, about 8 minutes.
Transfer half of the potatoes into the baking dish, spread the onions over all, and drizzle with half of the cream. Add the rest of the potatoes, pour the cooking milk over them, and drizzle with the remaining cream.
Bake for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer, until bubbly on the edges and browned on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
You can bake the gratin a few hours ahead, let cool, and reheat for 15 minutes in a 220°C (430°F) oven before serving.
Favorite Reads: Loyal Reader Mark Kane of yourgardenshow.com fame has an enticing recommendation for us: "For good reading that will add background to travels in France, read this book: France: A Traveler's Literary Companion.
In the Comments: We are awash in French poets this week! Reader Monique dropped me an email to say that perhaps rue de la Fontaine in Poisson was so named not because there was a fountain on the street, but after the famous poet Jean de La Fontaine. Now if we can just solve the fish-out-of-water mystery!
Our Reader's Blogs: Now here is something really different. Leslie writes a blog (and has a book out) about how mystery writers can write accurately about the law and courtrooms, called Law and Fiction. You can also read a good interview with her at the Happy Endings website. To follow reader Kim's expat adventures in the Auvergne, go to Cabes in France.
17 thoughts on “The Best Little Bistro in Burgundy”
That recipe looks delicious Lynn, I love potatoes! Now that you talk about “pommes frites” on the side, is there anyway you could post about a recipe or how to make them, I’m dying to try them. Thank you for those great book recommendations on your sidebar, I just started reading The olive farm and I’m loving it!
XXX Ido
Dear Lynn,
I must tell you that your blog is one of the best I subscribe to. It is one of the few that I look forward to reading. You remind me of Julia Child in your ability to grasp the French culture, and relay it to your readers. I now have a large folder of Southern Fried French recipes that I keep referring to whenever I entertain. Keep up the good work, it is very much appreciated.
Colette
“Pimped the potatoes”? That’s hilarious! I’m going to remember that one!
This is not on my diet… but I don’t care. I am drooling over that photo and Chez Jacques sounds as though I should hop on a plane JUST to go there! FABULOUS!!!!!!
Your potatoes dauphinois recipe brings back such memories, as do so many of your blogs. I first made this dish when I was a student in Boston. If you remember, there was a book service called “The Literary Guild”. If you subscribed you could pick out your first 4 books for a dollar. I chose Larousse Gastronomique, Julia volumes 1 & 2, and the NY Times Cookbook. More than 40 years later, all are still on my “active cookbook” shelf and the food stains on the pages attest to my love for them. This is how I, a little hippie playgirl (Boston in the 60s…it was like Paradise to me!), taught myself to cook. I tried so many of Julia’s recipes, I could have written that book that what’s her name wrote a couple of years ago!
I made those potatoes for a friend who was graduating from BU, along with lamb chops…I am reduced to making/eating it just once or twice a year (gotta be a “heart attack on a plate”, but I enjoy EVERY morsel)…if YOU make it, be sure to eat the scrapings from the side of the dish (as many of my guests do!) because that’s the best part.
How I love your blog, and apprecite your various viewpoints of France and the French! And thanks too, for incorporating some of the zillions of other blogs. That has been so helpful and fun. I wish it would inspire me to get my own blog up and running, but alas, that is a story for another day. Bonjour, Linda
Sorry Lynn! Pardon my ignorance. I didn’t miss your sep 29 post, what happens is that I thought “pommes” were apples, I like to put a french word at the end of my posts and I googled apples and it gave me the french translation for pommes, so I thought pommes frites or fried apples sounded delicious hahaaaa! I’m so dumb!
Well anyway, any recipes for fried apples? lol!
XXX Ido
I have a recipe that I found on a magazine during a flight to France. It uses plenty of Gruyere, but as one of your readers said, it is a heart attack on a plate so I have to restrict how often I cook it. I could it it every night. I’ll definitely try your version.
This summer my husband and I found our own favorite little family style bistro with the best of country cooking. I’ll take those over the Michelin stars any time. Now I have to go add this one to my list of “must eat.”
Hi Ido,
Not stupid at all, actually pommes ARE apples, and potatoes are pommes de terre (apples of the earth). I should have translated pommes frites—in this case the French have shortened it, as they often do, causing confusion sometimes for all of us. But hmmm, you got me thinking of apple ‘french fries’, with a dusting of cinnamon. Sounds crazy, but it just might work!
That looks delicious! I have a recipe I’d like to offer to your readers- this is what I serve with roast meats, and is also a gratin, but with a ‘twist’. I automatically double the recipe, as the leftovers are ‘to die for’.
Baked Celeriac & Blue Cheese ‘Heart Attack on a Plate’
1 lb. (500 g) celeriac (celery root) peeled & sliced
3 large waxy potatoes, peeled & sliced
2 cups (16 fl. oz.) heavy cream (single cream)
150 g. (5 oz.) blue cheese, crumbled
Preheat oven to 200 c or 400 f. Layer celeriac & potatoes in buttered dish. Pour over the cream & bake for 40 mins. Sprinkle over the cheese and bake an additional 15 mins. Serve with roasted meats. Serves 4.
To heighten risk of heart attack, serve leftovers the next morning with eggs prepared your favorite way.
Lynn ..October 10, 2006…ya’ll took me to L’auberg
de Jack in the little village and we had augratin potatoes …family style…the casserole to the table, and it was wonderful. Perhaps my first meal out in France!! I’ll be back!!
Wait….Wait….You “pimped the potatoes” ?? Did you learn this kind of “double speak”
from your mother??
Whilst you are there, Claire and Didier Panay at Domaine Julia, just down the hill makes the most wonderful Macon-Fuisse and a very special Cremant de Bourgogne. Just over the hill in Sologny Agnes and Eric Panay, cousins, at Pere Tienne make a superb red Milly-Lamartine.
Chez Jack is on our list to visit, we live between Cluny and Charolles in the Clunysois.
Dreamy recipe, I’m drooling over the picture ! Being as you’ve already “pimped” those potatoes, might as well crumble some bacon into the mix ! Always look forward to your posts girlfriend !
Joyce
The Gratin Dauphinois sounds yummy. I need to take something to a Thanksgiving dinner. Would that be too much as a substitute for mashed potatoes?
I’ve been looking around for a new potato recipe for Thanksgiving…and this is it! Just perfect, so thank you!
I was so in hopes that Chez Jack would be near the end of our Loire Canal boat trip at Decize. Unfortunately, it is 138km, so not a taxi ride! Do email me if you have any tips of great places between there and Chatillon-sur-Loire. There should be several around Nevers. May/June is still a while off, but we like getting our mouths all set!
Absolutely love this recipe! I’ve made it twice, it’s now on my “regulars” list. Works with different cheeses, too. I imagine you could do without the cream, use half & half or a little butter to substitute. We cooked the potatoes a bit less stovetop so they had a little more body after baking. In moderation, they aren’t such a diet buster.