ODDFELLOWS CAFÉ + BAR
This is a recipe for which just a few ingredients – potatoes with butter and a bit of seasoning – come together to make something quite exquisite. At Oddfellows Café, the potatoes are weighed down with rice to ensure compact layers that cook evenly. You can use pie weights or another skillet set on top as a weight.
Ingredients 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds) 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves About 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup crème fraîche 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, plus more for serving 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest Chopped parsley, for serving
Pommes Anna Complexity: Medium • Time: 1 hour • Serves: 6-8
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cut a piece of foil a few inches larger than the skillet and brush the center with some of the melted butter. The foil will be used to cover the potatoes while baking. Peel the potatoes and thinly slice them using a knife or mandoline. Brush the bottom of a medium, ovenproof, nonstick skillet generously with some of the melted butter and sprinkle with a bit of the salt. Using about one third of the potato slices, form a layer in the cold pan, starting in the center and overlapping the slices (note that this will be the top when turned out to serve, so it’s good to be extra tidy with this layer). After one layer is formed, brush the potatoes generously with butter and sprinkle with a bit of the salt and half of the thyme. Add another layer using half of the remaining potatoes, then brush the potatoes with butter and top with some of the salt and the remaining thyme. Use the remaining potatoes to form the final layer, then brush with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with a bit of salt.
10 minutes, using a heatproof rubber spatula to carefully lift up an edge to peek at the progress. Take the skillet from the heat and cover with the foil, buttered-side down, pressed directly onto the potatoes. Top the foil with pie weights or another ovenproof skillet to weigh down the potatoes. Bake until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes; to check, remove the skillet from the oven, lift the foil a bit, and test the potatoes with the tip of a small knife, baking a bit longer if needed. When the potatoes are tender, remove the weight and foil and continue baking until the top has lightly browned, about 15 minutes longer. (You can turn on the broiler for the last minute or two to help with browning.) While the potatoes are baking, stir together the crème fraîche, chives and lemon zest in a small bowl. When the potatoes are cooked, set a serving plate upside down on top of the skillet and, holding the two together carefully with hot pads, turn them over together, then lift off the skillet. Cut the potatoes into wedges, arrange on individual plates, spoon crème fraîche over, and sprinkle with chives and parsley. Serve right away.
Set the pan over medium heat and cook until the bottom layer of potatoes is lightly browned and crispy, 7 to 10
WASHINGTON GROWN MAGAZINE JUNE 2023
WASHINGTON GROWN MAGAZINE JUNE 2023
11