The Cottage Smallholder

Ooh err, it wouldn't be dauphinois without the cream. It will be interesting to see what is suggested.

Danny, I am lactose intolerant - I use a brand of milk called Lactofree - it's in black/white cow-coloured cartons, in all major supermarkets.  They also do butter and cream - also in supermarkets, although not as widely available as the milk.  All products taste exactly the same as the normal versions (although more expensive, of course - seems every food without something or other costs more ).

I was reliably informed by my specialist dietician that people who are lactose intolerant can often tolerate yogurt, cheese and butter, as these are all low in lactose - I can confirm that I have no problems with these.  Greek yogurt is an excellent substitute for cream, especially the full fat version - it's really thick and creamy, and you can cook with it.

I should stress that there is a difference between being intolerant and being allergic - those who are actually allergic would (or should) know what to avoid!

Alpro also do soya versions of cream and milk, of course - I've tried the Alpro cream (long life version, not seen it fresh, don't know whether they in fact do a fresh one) and it's ok, not quite as nice as proper cream but fine all the same.

Hope this helps.

Haven't made potato dauphinoise for a long time, now I want some!

Well, I made dauphinoise for lunch today (thanks for the idea! ).  I used a mixture of Lactofree milk and thick Greek yogurt, as I didn't have any lactofree or soya cream in.  I also greased the dish with some of Simon's smoked garlic which I'd previously mashed into butter (yummy).  The finished dish wasn't as nice or rich as it would be made with cream, but was certainly acceptable.  For a special occasion or to serve to guests though, you would really need to use some sort of cream.