Pomme de terre with Parmesan
Pomme de terre means “potato” in French. I’m a Food Network junkie! I watched the latest season of Worst Cooks in America and Chef Ann had her team make these potatoes and they looked delicious! The technique takes some time, but there are 4 simple ingredients and this is a beautiful, tasty potato side dish you can try at home!
Recipe
Ingredients (Serves 4)
3 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan and potatoes
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano
Kosher salt
Directions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2: Working 1 potato at a time, slice very thinly on a mandolin. It is important to work with purpose here (quickly) because the potatoes will discolor. Do not put the potatoes in water because this will wash the starch off of them. *Laurie’s Cooking Tip: Mandolins are VERY sharp! Use a guard on top of the potatoes (if you have one) and I also use a cut glove for safety. Cut gloves are a great investment for any cook and can be purchased relatively inexpensively!
Step 3: Coat an 8-inch ovenproof nonstick sauté pan with olive oil (*Laurie’s Note: I used a larger pan for extra servings pictured here.) Starting from the center of the pan, make concentric circles of potato slices. Remember that eventually the bottom will be the top, so it is important for the first circles of potatoes to look pretty. Brush each layer with olive oil and sprinkle every 2nd or 3rd layer liberally with grated Parmigiano and salt. After every layer of potatoes, press the potatoes so they are very compact. Repeat this process with the remaining potatoes.
Step 4: Place the pan over medium heat and cook until the olive oil begins to sizzle and the potatoes begin to brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes.
Step 5: Place a tight-fitting lid on the pan. Drain the excess oil out the side of the pan. THIS STEP IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!! After the excess oil has been drained, completely flip the pan so the cake is turned out onto the bottom of the lid, then slide the cake off the lid back into the pan so the brown side of the cake is now up and the top becomes the bottom. We see now why draining the excess oil is important: if you attempt this without draining the oil, it will drain out on your wrist and burn you. *Laurie’s Cooking Tip: I made a larger batch so I drained with the lid and then used a flat pizza pan (below) to flip the potatoes. It would have been too difficult to do with the large pan I was using.
Step 6: Transfer the pan in the oven and bake until the cake is fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.
