I wanted to share the successful making of this version of Pommes Anna that uses olive oil instead of butter and adds a bit of Parmesan. It went great with Ina Garten’s Perfect Roast Chicken and a side of steamed green beans. And it flipped out of the cast iron skillet perfectly!
PARMESAN POTATOES ANNA
I used Yukon gold potatoes, which have a thin skin that does not require peeling, making this an even faster preparation than the original Pommes Anna. If you use Russet potatoes, I’d peel them first. As soon as it was in the oven, I found myself wishing I’d added in some fresh thyme or Rosemary, so I added it as an optional ingredient. if you make it that way, do let me know.
Ingredients
- 8 medium Yukon gold potatoes, of equivalent size, longer than wide and able to fit into the feeding tube of your food processor
- Olive Oil (about 2-3 tbsp total)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh Rosemary or Thyme (optional)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahremheit.
Rinse and dry the potatoes, cutting away any brown spots and trimming them if need be to fit into the feeding tube of the food processor, in which you will slice them 1/8 thick.
Place a well-seasoned cast iron pan on the stovetop, brush the bottom and sides generously with olive oil, and turn on the heat to medium-high. Start layering the potato slices in the pan immediately, starting in the center, in concentric overlapping circles. Brush every layer with the tiniest bit of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper and Parmesan cheese (plus herbs if you are using them). Continue layering, working quickly, until you use all the potatoes (5 layers for my pan) and the pan is sizzling hot. Sprinkle the last layer with parmesan and cover with aluminum foil. Place the skillet in the hot oven and bake for 15 mins, then remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes till the top is nicely browned.
Remove from the oven and flip over onto a large plate. Cut into wedges and serve.
food processor? ours is not up to the job of medium potatoes, and it is also a pain to wash. i actually got a cut-resistant glove, to use with the inexpensive but sharp and effective mandoline; such is my love for variations on pommes anna.
and i still do not have the appropriate oven-worthy skillet. but something like a variation of a half recipe of this will be going in the oven, in a bit.
kathy a. –
A Cast iron skillet is the way to go. One of these days I will try the mandoline.
Enjoy your potatoes tonight!
Peggy
Love this version of Pommes Anna. I made them several years ago on Valentine’s Day for my paramour. I thought I was so fancy using a mandoline. Totally forgot about the safety holder and almost took off the tip of my thumb. I wrapped my thumb tight in a dish towel, holding it above my head, until we finished dinner and cleaned up. Only then did I announce it was time to go to the ER. I like the idea of the food processor.
Laura –
Love that story. Sorry about the thumb. Food processor is a breeze, but you need to be sure to get potatoes that will fit into the tube or else trim them to fit.
Thanks for reading!
Peggy
i’ve been improvising with an enameled le creuset iron saucepan; and it is working OK, but i end up with a thicker stack of potatoes — so there is not the same crispy-outside, melty-inside, held-togetherness as a cast-iron skillet would deliver. still delicious enough to disappear at dinner.
this was suggested in one of the pommes anna recipes, and it works for me: putting the potatoes and oil/butter and anything else (spices, parm, garlic, onion) in a good-sized bowl and mixing them up to coat the slices before layering in the oiled & heated pan. easier than brushing and sprinkling while you are trying to get everything layered nicely.