Potato Gratin

5 large baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
3 to 5 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or chives, for garnish
Serves 4 to 6

1. Place the sliced potatoes in a bowl with cold water to cover. Leave for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. Remove from the cloudy water, and dry with a clean towel.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
3. Butter the bottom and sides of an earthenware baking casserole, about 3 1/2 inches deep, and large enough to fit all the potatoes (very large). If you have no round ceramic pan, use an ordinary baking pan. Sprinkle about half the garlic along the edges of the buttered sides of the pan.
4. Make a layer of potatoes, dot with butter pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with a few spoonfuls of cream, scatter a little garlic on top, then repeat in this fashion until all the potatoes have been used. End the top with a dabbing of butter, the last slosh of cream, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
5. Bake for an hour to an hour and a half, or until the potatoes are very tender and have absorbed all the cream; the top of the potatoes should be golden brown with darker brown splotches here and there. This is a very rustic dish and by its very nature is very forgiving timewise; if you need more time, lower the oven's heat, and to speed the cookingup and give it a nice dark topping, raise the heat to 230 degrees for the last 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Serve in its own casserole, or dish up individual portions, sprinkling each with a little chopped fresh parsley