Name: Truffled Potato Gratin
Yield: Makes 10 servings
Ingredients: 4 cups whipping cream, divided; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme; 15 whole black peppercorns; 5 large garlic cloves, crushed, divided; 5 pounds long slender russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices; 3 fresh black truffles or three 1/3-ounce jars whole black truffles, sliced paper-thin

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Truffled Potato GratinMark Thomas

Fresh black truffles are worth the splurge. They are available at some specialty foods stores and from Urbani Truffles (215-699-8780; urbanitruffles.com). Black truffles in jars are sold at specialty foods stores and Italian markets; the most flavorful are European winter black truffles.

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