Photo: Claire Lower
Pommes Anna is one of those dishes that brings out the futzer inside of us. She’s a simple girl, made with nothing more than thinly sliced potatoes, butter, and salt, and people are always trying to dress her up with herbs, garlic, and seasonings. She doesn’t need all that. Delicate, melting, butter-drenched and lightly crisped potatoes don’t need adornment. There’s only one thing I’d change about Anna—her size.
If you’re hosting a dinner party, the traditional serving size makes sense. Baking the thinly sliced potatoes into a sliceable cake makes for an impressive presentation, especially when you go to flip the whole thing out of the pan. It does not, however, make sense for a romantic dinner for two. Though I’m sure you and your valentine are capable of eating a formidable amount of potatoes, serving mini versions of the classic dish makes the evening a little more manageable. All you need is potatoes, salted butter, and a muffin tin.
How many of the minis you make is up to you. One pound of Yukon golds and one stick of butter will make eight mini versions of Pommes Anna—let’s call them “Annie’s.” All you have to do is slice the potatoes as thinly as possible, toss the slices with melted butter, and layer them into a muffin tin. I use a mandolin slicer, and I recommend you do the same, though if you feel confident in your knife skills, have at it, and aim for a thickness of 1/8th of an inch. Bake for 25 minutes at 375℉ until the potatoes are fully softened, then increase the temperature to 400℉ and bake for another 15 minutes to brown the edges.
Easy Pomme Annies
Ingredients:
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes1 stick salted butterCoarse or flake salt for finishingSlice the potatoes as thinly as possible, and melt a stick of butter. Gently toss the potatoes and butter in a large bowl, then distribute the buttered slices evenly between eight muffin pan divots. Layer one slice at a time, overlapping the edges slightly. Bake at 375℉ for 25 minutes, until the potatoes are fully softened, then increase the temperature to 400℉ and bake for another 15 minutes to brown the edges. Lift the Annies out of their divots with a spoon, finish with flake salt, and enjoy immediately.
