I came across this recipe eons ago and stuffed it in my ever-growing binder of “recipes to make soon!” Ha! There is not enough time in the world to make all those recipes any time soon. 
I decided that these potatoes would perfectly complement the Happy Ham that I was serving for dinner on New Year’s Day. In the end, the potatoes were our favorite part of the meal. They were crunchy on the bottom and perfectly seasoned. I thought this recipe would easily serve 4 people, but we liked them so much that the four of us finished one pan of these and almost ate all of the second pan. That said, I would recommend doubling the recipe to ensure that everyone gets their fill. If you do choose to double the recipe, just continue the layering process to include another 5 layers and add a few minutes to the oven cooking time.
This was originally a Cooking Light recipe. Once I got my hands on it, it was significantly less “light” but the extra deliciousness imparted by the additional butter was well worth the calories.
Cooking the potatoes while assembling them makes the bottom golden brown and crunchy while finishing them in the oven ensures that the middle and top layers of potatoes are thoroughly cooked. These are a new favorite and I look forward to serving them with more of our happy meat!
herbed potatoes anna
adapted from TLC’s Steamy Kitchen Blog
3/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
2 lb baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices* (I recommend Yukon Gold potatoes)
*You will never be able to slice potatoes thin enough using a knife. To get your potatoes 1/8-inch thick, use a mandolin slicer or a food processor with the 1/8-inch slicing disc.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, zest, and thyme. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a small side dish.
Swirl the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron or ovenproof heavy skillet over Medium heat. Arrange a single layer of potato slices, slightly overlapping, in a circular pattern in the pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of the herb mixture. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the potatoes with the melted butter.
Repeat the layers five times, ending with the herb and butter mixture.
Continue to cook on the stove until the potatoes on the bottom of the pan are just starting to turn brown. Immediately cover and transfer to the oven. Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until a knife can easily pierce the potatoes. You can serve the potatoes in a skillet or loosen the edges with a spatula and turn over onto a plate.
1 response so far ↓
1 Brant // Jan 6, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Dark horse winner of the night! Don’t let the simplicity of ingredients fool your taste buds.