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Normally, I would have saved this recipe to feature for a future Sunday Dinner, but after the first bite, I knew I needed to share it right away. Four ingredients brought together with the right technique can provide a side that will surely be dug into for seconds.
The golden, crunchy crust gives way to the tender layers inside lending a pleasing texture to the tasty proceedings. Try this method the next time you need a potato side. It is a nice tweak on the scalloped potato/hash brown standards that you will be sure to bookmark.
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Pommes Anna
Equipment
- 9-inch oven proof dish
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and clarified
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pour 1 tablespoon of the butter into a 9-inch oven proof dish or cast-iron skillet; set aside.
- Cut one potato at a time into ⅛-inch thick slices using a mandoline or v-slicer. Place the slices on a double thickness of paper towels and blot the tops dry with another sheet of paper towel. Build the bottom layer of the potatoes in an overlapping concentric circle, brush with melted butter and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to slice, dry, and layer the remaining potatoes. Brush the potato slices with melted butter and season with salt and pepper between each layer.
- Cut out a 9-inch round piece of parchment paper. Place the parchment on top of the potatoes and cover with a sheet of aluminum foil. Place a heavy oven proof pot on top of the aluminum foil to weigh down the potato cake. Place the potatoes and the weight on top of the stove over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes. This will help form a nice crispy crust.
- Place the potatoes and the weight on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the weight (it will be hot), foil, and parchment paper and bake until the sides are golden brown and crisp and the potatoes are easily pierced with the point of a paring knife, about 20-25 minutes. Allow the potatoes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Potatoes can be baked and kept at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 2 hours. Reheat the potatoes covered with foil at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.
- To serve, invert the potatoes onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks beautiful Nicole! I so need to get a mandoline…
When I looked at the picture, I was thinking: How did she make such a beautiful Apple crust? Then I read it's potatoes, and I am sooo hungry now. It is beautiful, absolutely delicious meal! Thanks for sharing!
Wow, just a handful of ingredients? I agree with Marina-at first glance, I thought this was apple! I don't have much of a sweet tooth, though, so finding out this was potatoes was awesome. Thanks for sharing! I have The Joy of Cooking but I often find myself looking through blogs instead. Funny how this has brought me back to the book.
This is gorgeous Nicole, wow I could eat this right now for breakfast, no problem!
you can do so many things with this dish, I would put some bacon in there.
Isn't it amazing as to how just 4 ingredients can make such a beautiful masterpiece?
I've bookmarked this recipe and will be trying this soon. Although I am a bit terrified of using a mandoline. The last time I used it I sliced a good chuck of my finger and I lost feeling in it for weeks!
I tried making these the other night and it was very easy and they turned out delicious. But they never browned like yours and looked pretty awful. I used a high-quality stainless steel pan and followed your recipe exactly — except I didn't clarify the butter, I only melted it. What might I have done wrong? The pan, the butter? Bake ten minutes longer? They're just way too good not to make again, if only I could get them to look half as good as yours!
Glad the potatoes tasted good. Here are a few tips to help with the browning. Using a cast iron skillet will result in better browning, but you can still get a nice crust like the picture above in a baking pan. I use clarified butter because it has a higher smoking point and prevents scorching. Everyone's stove top and oven temperature is different, so start checking the underside of the potatoes after 5 minutes on the stove. If there is little to no browning, keep it on the stove for a few minutes more. Same for the oven. Even the sides are not visibly brown and crisp, keep it in the oven for a few minutes more.
Thank you; I'll follow all the tips next time. I was going to use a cast iron skillet, but feared it would leave a gray tint to the potatoes; next time that's what I'll use.