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JB’s Pommes Anna Recipe

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★★★★★

4.4 from 75 reviews

JB’s Pommes Anna is a classic French potato dish featuring thinly sliced starchy potatoes layered in a spiral pattern, brushed with rich clarified butter, and baked to a golden, crispy perfection. This elegant yet simple recipe yields a beautifully tender center with a crisp, caramelized exterior, perfect for serving as a side dish or a special treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Pommes Anna

  • 1.6 kg / 3.5 lb medium starchy potatoes
  • 160 g / 5.6 oz unsalted butter (to make 1/2 cup clarified butter)
  • 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
  • Sea salt flakes, to sprinkle (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make Clarified Butter: Melt unsalted butter in a saucepan or microwave. Let it rest for 5 minutes so the milk solids settle at the bottom. Skim off the foam from the top. Slowly pour the clear golden butter through a fine sieve into a jug, leaving the milk solids behind. Discard the solids. This golden liquid is your clarified butter.
  2. Prepare Pan and Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) or 180°C fan-forced (356°F). Brush the base of a 26cm (10 inch) cast-iron skillet generously with 2 tablespoons of clarified butter.
  3. Slice Potatoes: Peel the potatoes and using a mandolin, slice 2 or 3 potatoes about 1.5mm (0.06 inch) thick. Sort the slices into small, medium, and large sizes without rinsing them in water to maintain starch content.
  4. Build First Layer: Using medium slices, place one slice in the center of the pan, then build a spiral around it overlapping each slice by about 3/4. Next, use larger slices to build a second spiral on the outer edge, overlapping the first spiral slightly to ensure a tidy round shape. Fill gaps in the center with small slices for neatness.
  5. Butter and Season: Generously brush or dab the layer with clarified butter without disturbing the slices. Sprinkle one-third of the salt and white pepper evenly across the layer.
  6. Build Additional Layers: Repeat the spiral layering of potatoes two more times, brushing each layer generously with clarified butter and seasoning it evenly with salt and white pepper.
  7. Cover with Cartouche: Place a cartouche (a circle of baking paper/parchment paper) on top of the layered potatoes to prevent excessive browning and retain moisture.
  8. Bake Covered: Bake the skillet in the preheated oven for 70 minutes at 200°C (400°F), or 180°C fan-forced, covered with the cartouche.
  9. Bake Uncovered: Remove the cartouche and bake for an additional 30 minutes until the top and edges are deep golden brown and crispy.
  10. Rest and Flip: Let the dish rest on the counter for 10 minutes. Then carefully flip the skillet onto a plate and gently lift the pan away to reveal the beautifully formed Pommes Anna. Serve immediately for best enjoyment.

Notes

  • Use a mandolin for uniform thin slices to ensure even cooking.
  • Do not rinse the sliced potatoes as the natural starch helps keep the layers together.
  • A cast-iron skillet is preferred for even heat distribution and crisping.
  • Clarified butter prevents burning and improves flavor.
  • The cartouche helps maintain moisture during the initial baking phase.
  • Resting before flipping allows the potatoes to set and hold shape.

Keywords: pommes anna, classic French potatoes, baked potatoes, clarified butter, potato side dish, elegant potato recipe

Find it online: https://cookcrisis.com/jbs-pommes-anna-recipe/