Two Potatoes Anna Recipes

POTATOES ANNA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Place potatoes in large bowl of cold water. Grease bottom and sides of 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Spray 12x12-inch piece of foil with cooking spray.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter, the thyme and garlic over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly until butter is melted but garlic has not browned. Remove from heat; set aside. In custard cup, combine salt and pepper.
• Drain potato slices; pat dry between paper towels. Starting in center of pan, arrange 1/4 of potato slices, slightly overlapping in circular pattern, covering bottom of pan. Brush with 1/4 of butter mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt mixture. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese.
• Repeat layers two more times, ending with cheese. Top with one more layer of potatoes, brush with remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining salt mixture. Press top of potatoes firmly with metal spatula. Cook uncovered over medium-high heat 5 minutes, gently shaking pan occasionally to prevent potatoes from sticking. Cover with foil, sprayed side down.
• Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil; bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown. Remove from oven. Run small spatula around edge of potatoes; gently shake pan to loosen potatoes from bottom of pan. Carefully invert potatoes onto serving plate To serve, cut into wedges.

POTATOES ANNA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Line an 8-inch/20 cm baking tin with parchment, and brush with butter. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes, then toss in a bowl with the cream to saturate. Pulling the potatoes from the cream, build layers of them in the baking tin, seasoning and scattering over herbs as you go. Brush another sheet of parchment with butter and place it butter-side down on the potatoes. Set another heavy dish on top to weight down the potatoes. Bake until tender, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Let cool before turning out and cutting into squares or wedges to serve.

POTATOES ANNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Using a food processor with a slicing blade or a sharp knife, slice potatoes as thinly as possible, 1/4 inch thick or thinner. (Do not place sliced potatoes in water; the starch is needed to bind the layers.)
• Brush bottom of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Starting in center of pan, arrange potato slices, slightly overlapping, in circular pattern, covering surface. Brush with another 1 1/2 tablespoons butter; season well with salt and pepper. Repeat for two more layers.
• Place over high heat until butter in pan sizzles, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Transfer to oven; bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Run a small spatula around edges of potatoes; slide large spatula underneath potatoes to loosen. Carefully invert onto a plate, and cut into wedges.

POMMES ANNA

Steps:

• Heat large knob of butter with a healthy drizzle of olive oil over medium low heat until butter melts and just starts to foam. Shut off heat under pan.
• Using a sharp and stable Japanese mandolin - or the real French metal one if you're lucky enough to have one - slice the potatoes into very thin but not paper-thin slices.
• Arrange the slices tightly, careful shingling around the pan in concentric circles starting at the outer edge of the pan and working your way into the center. Season the first layer with a little salt. Repeat with each potato until you achieve three tight and gorgeous layers.
• Turn the heat back on under the pan at medium. Drizzle the potatoes with a generous pour of olive oil and dot a few more pats of butter around the pan of potatoes. Season with salt. As the pan starts to sizzle, you will see the fat bubbling up and spitting a bit. Put a lid on the pan and seal tightly for a minute or two, giving the potatoes a little steam bath, helping to soften and cook the flesh. Remove the lid and swirl the pan with a little muscle to see if the potatoes are binding together as their starch begins to heat up. If they slip loosely all around the pan, tuck the slices back into the tight circle using a heat-proof rubber spatula and allow to sizzle and cook longer uncovered. Bump up the flame a little if the cooking sounds and looks listless - you want to hear sizzle. When you start to smell the potatoes turning golden and crisp - like the smell of toast - swirl the pan again to confirm that the potato layers have formed a cake, and then flip the pommes Anna and cook on the other side also until golden and crispy. Slide onto serving plate or cutting board, season with salt, and cut into wedges.

POTATOES ANNA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C. Line an 8-inch/20 cm baking tin with parchment, and brush with butter.
• Peel and thinly slice the potatoes, then toss in a bowl with the cream to saturate. Pulling the potatoes from the cream, build layers of them in the baking tin, seasoning and scattering over the herbs as you go. Brush another sheet of parchment with butter and place it butter-side down on the potatoes. Set another heavy dish on top to weigh down the potatoes. Bake until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Let cool before turning out and cutting into squares or wedges to serve.

TWO-POTATOES ANNA

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (use a mandoline if you have one). Peel half of the russet potatoes and slice into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. (Do not rinse-you'll need the starch for the dish to set.)
• Coat the bottom of a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet with 4 tablespoons melted butter. Starting in the center of the skillet, arrange a layer of russet potato slices in concentric circles, slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and some of the rosemary leaves.
• Set the skillet over medium heat. Working quickly, add the remaining sliced russets in 2 more layers, then the sliced sweet potatoes in 2 layers, sprinkling lightly with more salt and rosemary between layers. (Check to make sure the bottom is browning evenly; adjust the heat as needed.) Drizzle with 4 tablespoons melted butter. Peel and thinly slice the remaining russet potatoes and add them to the skillet in 2 or 3 more layers, lightly seasoning each layer with salt and rosemary. Drizzle with the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter.
• When the potatoes are golden brown on the bottom, transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the potatoes soften slightly, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven; center the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan on the surface of the potatoes and press firmly a few times to help the layers stick together. Remove the cake pan and return the skillet to the oven; bake until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown, about 20 more minutes.
• Let the potatoes cool 5 minutes in the skillet, then run a small knife around the edge to loosen. Set an inverted serving plate on top of the skillet and carefully flip the potatoes onto the plate. Season with salt and pepper.