Description
JB’s Pommes Anna is a classic French potato dish that features thinly sliced starchy potatoes layered and cooked in clarified butter until golden, crispy, and beautifully tender inside. This recipe yields a rich, buttery side dish with a delicate balance of seasoning and perfectly caramelized edges, ideal for accompanying meats or enjoyed on its own.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes
- 1.6 kg / 3.5 lb medium starchy potatoes
Butter Mixture
- 160g / 5.6 oz unsalted butter (makes 1/2 cup clarified butter)
Seasoning
- 1 tsp cooking salt or kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
- Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Potatoes: Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly, ideally using a mandoline to ensure uniform thickness. This helps the potatoes cook evenly and develop a consistent texture throughout the dish.
- Clarify the Butter: Melt unsalted butter gently over low heat to separate the milk solids. Skim off the foam and milk solids, leaving clear golden clarified butter that will be used to brush the potato layers to enhance browning and flavor.
- Assemble and Cook the Pommes Anna: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly butter a heavy ovenproof skillet or round baking dish. Arrange a layer of potato slices in an overlapping circular pattern, brushing each layer generously with clarified butter and sprinkling with salt and white pepper. Repeat until all potatoes are used, pressing down gently to compact the layers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are tender throughout. Let the dish rest a few minutes before inverting onto a plate and sprinkling with sea salt flakes if desired.
Notes
- Using starchy potatoes like Russet or Yukon Gold is key for the right texture.
- Clarifying butter intensifies the buttery flavor and prevents burning during the long bake.
- You can prepare the dish ahead of time and reheat it gently in the oven, covered with foil, to preserve moisture.
- Make sure to slice potatoes uniformly thin for even cooking.
- If you do not have clarified butter, gently melt and strain unsalted butter to get similar results.
