Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (169 page)

Continue filling the pan with layers of potatoes basted with butter and seasoned with salt and pepper, always being sure that the layer around the circumference of the pan is evenly spaced. Remember, also, to shake the pan by its handle from time to time, to be sure potatoes are not sticking. Fill the pan completely, allowing potatoes to form a ¼- to ½-inch dome in the center; they will sink during cooking. You should have added enough butter so that you can see it bubbling up the sides of the pan; excess will be poured out after cooking.

3)
Baking

A heavy saucepan, 7 inches bottom diameter, or whatever will fit into the potato pan

A heavy, close-fitting cover for the potato pan

A pizza tray or roasting pan to catch drippings

Butter bottom of saucepan and
press it down hard on the potatoes
, forcing the layers together. Butter underside of cover, place it on the potato pan set on upper of the two oven racks. Set drip pan under the potatoes, on rack below, to catch bubblings-up of butter (which could otherwise set fire to your oven).

Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, press potatoes down hard again with bottom of saucepan, and continue baking 20 to 25 minutes more, uncovered. (If baked all the time with cover on, potatoes tend to pick up an off taste.) Press down potatoes again before end of baking. Gently draw an edge of the potatoes away from side of dish: potatoes are done if brown and crusty. Bake 5 minutes or so more if necessary.

4)
Unmolding and serving

A bowl for excess butter

A flexible-blade spatula

If needed: a buttered baking sheet

A lightly buttered, hot serving dish

When potatoes are done, place cover slightly askew on pan and drain out excess butter, which may be used again in other cooking. Run spatula around edge of pan. Shake pan, and if potatoes have stuck to bottom, run spatula carefully under potatoes to loosen them, but disturb them as little as possible. If you feel it will be easier to unmold them first onto a baking sheet and slide them onto the serving dish, do so; otherwise invert the dish over the potato pan, reverse the two, and potatoes will drop onto dish. They should look like a brown cake.

Unmolding troubles:
You should have no trouble, but if some potatoes do stick to pan, scrape them off and put them in place on the potato cake. If you have had trouble and potatoes look messy or pale, simply push or mound them into a reasonable shape, sprinkle with cheese or bread crumbs, drizzle on a little butter, and brown briefly under the broiler.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: After unmolding the potatoes, cover loosely with foil and set in a warming oven (120 degrees), or on an electric hot-tray, or over simmering water. They will keep nicely for half an hour at least as long as they are warm and have a little circulation of air.

VARIATIONS

Pommes de Terre Sarladaise

[Truffled Sliced Potatoes Baked in Butter]

All you need for this variation is the wherewithal for a number of sliced truffles, as many as you wish. Proceed as in the Master Recipe, but intersperse truffles with the potato slices after the first layer of potatoes has been arranged in the pan, and end with a layer of potatoes.

Galette de Pommes de Terre au Fromage

[Mold of Sliced Potatoes and Cheese Cooked in Butter]

This is a more informal method of forming
pommes Anna
, and you may omit the cheese if you wish. Here all the cooking is done on top of the stove, which is a convenience when your oven is in use.

For 6 people