Impress your guests with this elegant and decadent French dish.
I’ve always thought that having a song named after you was peak romance, or at the very least, peak admiration. But this recipe makes me think I might be wrong. Having a dish named after you might be the highest form of admiration, actually. Such is the case for pommes Anna, which originated in Paris during the reign of Napoleon III during the 19th century. Pommes Anna is said to have been named after French courtesan Anne Deslions for her beauty and elegance. She often frequented and entertained dignitaries at the renowned Café Anglais, where the dish was supposedly conceived in her honor by Chef Adolphe Dugléré. Romance? I’m not sure. Iconic? I’d have to say so, since this dish is still celebrated today for its own beauty and elegance.
The ingredients in this version of the recipe are simple: butter, potatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley. So what makes pommes Anna different from all the other potato dishes out there? The answer is technique. Oh, and a lot of butter.
To make pommes Anna, you’ll be layering thinly sliced pieces of potato in a skillet, then topping each individual layer with butter, Parmesan, and the seasoning. The dish will take on an almost cake-like structure once it’s baked, and the edges of the potatoes will be golden brown. In fact, you’ll be serving it like a cake, too. When it’s out of the oven and cooled, you’ll turn the skillet over onto a serving plate so that the potatoes that cooked on the bottom actually become the top of what you and your guests will see when you serve the dish. Then, you’ll be ready to enjoy a slice full of impressive, melt-in-your-mouth flavors.
Is Pommes Anna Healthy?
Pommes Anna is rich in butter. From that fact alone, you can probably glean that this isn’t the healthiest recipe. While butter is high in fat, potatoes are a starchy vegetable and high in carbohydrates. Still, carbohydrates are part of a balanced diet, and potatoes are also a good source of vitamin C. Overall, I would encourage anyone with dietary concerns to consider them carefully in this recipe, but also feel comfortable enjoying delicious dishes like pommes Anna in moderation.
How To Get Perfect Potatoes For Pommes Anna
For this recipe, you’ll be using five large russet potatoes. Russet potatoes tend to be starchier than other potato varieties, which is key for this recipe: the starch will help your pommes Anna keep its distinct, cake-like shape once you’ve removed it from the skillet.
After you’ve peeled your potatoes and begin cutting your potato rounds, try to make sure their thickness is as uniform as possible, about 1/8 inch. If you have a mandoline, you could use it for this recipe. The more uniform the potatoes are, the more evenly the entire dish will cook. After all your potatoes are cut, you could also place the rounds in a bowl of cold water for up to five minutes, which will prevent oxidation and discoloration. Just make sure to rinse and pat them dry with a paper towel or a tea towel before layering them in your skillet.
FAQs & Tips
If you have leftovers of this dish, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to reheat, you can do so in the microwave or in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of your leftovers.
You can make pommes Anna up to 1 day in advance before serving. Simply follow the instructions of this recipe and bake it completely, then let it cool. Cover it with aluminum foil and place it in the fridge, without taking it out of the skillet. When you’re ready to serve it, reheat the skillet in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then proceed to release it onto a serving plate.
Though this recipe calls for unsalted butter, if you prefer to keep salted butter in your kitchen, you could use it for pommes Anna. However, keep this in mind when you’re salting your dish to taste, so as not to over-salt it.
Serving Suggestions
Pommes Anna is definitely a decadent, rich recipe. It looks fancy and impressive, too. So why not lean into that? These Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Balsamic-Blueberry Salsa or this Pork Osso Bucco would both be wonderful, equally impressive pairings as a main course, for example.
If you’re looking for appetizer ideas, I think these Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms or this Tapenade paired with Crostini would be perfect for channeling even more elegance.
Pommes Anna
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 5 large russet potatoes peeled and thinly sliced about 1/8-inch thick
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Dried thyme to taste
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 425°F. Lightly butter an 8 or 10-inch oven-safe skillet.
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Lay the potato slices in overlapping concentric circles, starting from the center outwards. Assemble 3 layers. Brush each layer with melted butter, then season it with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried thyme, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese before adding the next layer.
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After adding the seasoning on the last layer, cover the skillet with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Then, take off the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the edges turn golden brown. To add extra crispness, you can broil for 5 minutes as an option.
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Carefully release the potato cake using a spatula. Next, put a serving plate on top and swiftly flip the pan to turn the cake over. Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting it into wedges.
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Slice the cake into wedges and serve warm, garnished with parsley.
Nutrition
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