Pommes Anna
By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen
Pommes Anna
By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen
Yield/Serves:
Makes 6 servings
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into ⅛" rounds
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh thyme leaves, picked and lightly chopped
Preheat oven to 350°
To a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, add butter. Once butter is fully melted, continue to heat until butter comes to a gentle boil and white foam begins to float to the surface. Reduce heat to medium and gently boil until the white foam sinks to the bottom of the pan, and the boiling will calm down. Once boiling has stopped, pour butter through a cheesecloth-lined strainer.
To a heavy, oven-safe 8–10" inch skillet set over medium-low heat add 2 tablespoons of the clarified butter. Quickly arrange potato slices in concentric circles, overlapping potato slices slightly, in bottom of the pan. Brush first layer with clarified butter and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Repeat with remaining potatoes, buttering and seasoning between layers. Pour remaining butter over top of potatoes.
Continue cooking potatoes on the stovetop until you see the potatoes around the edge of the pan begin to brown. Remove from heat, top with a piece of parchment paper and set in an oven-safe skillet or pan about the same diameter of the skillet, with the potatoes on top of the parchment paper, and press down firmly. Transfer pans to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the middle of the potatoes gives no resistance.
Unmolding and serving: When potatoes are done, place cover slightly askew on pan and drain out excess butter, which may be used again in other cooking. Run spatula around edge of pan. Shake pan, and if potatoes have stuck to bottom, run spatula carefully under potatoes to loosen them, but disturb them as little as possible. Invert a large, flat plate over the potato pan, reverse the two, and potatoes will drop onto dish.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
To a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, add butter. Once butter is fully melted, continue to heat until butter comes to a gentle boil and white foam begins to float to the surface. Reduce heat to medium and gently boil until the white foam sinks to the bottom of the pan, and the boiling will calm down. Once boiling has stopped, pour butter through a cheesecloth-lined strainer.
To a heavy, oven-safe 8–10" inch skillet set over medium-low heat add 2 tablespoons of the clarified butter. Quickly arrange potato slices in concentric circles, overlapping potato slices slightly, in bottom of the pan. Brush first layer with clarified butter and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Repeat with remaining potatoes, buttering and seasoning between layers. Pour remaining butter over top of potatoes.
Continue cooking potatoes on the stovetop until you see the potatoes around the edge of the pan begin to brown. Remove from heat, top with a piece of parchment paper and set in an oven-safe skillet or pan about the same diameter of the skillet, with the potatoes on top of the parchment paper, and press down firmly. Transfer pans to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the middle of the potatoes gives no resistance.
Unmolding and serving: When potatoes are done, place cover slightly askew on pan and drain out excess butter, which may be used again in other cooking. Run spatula around edge of pan. Shake pan, and if potatoes have stuck to bottom, run spatula carefully under potatoes to loosen them, but disturb them as little as possible. Invert a large, flat plate over the potato pan, reverse the two, and potatoes will drop onto dish.
Serve warm or at room temperature.