The perfect combination of crusty and creamy

This has to be one of my favorite ways to make potatoes. The whole family loves it, too, since it looks like pie. There is a decided pie-bias in this house — Daughter #1 requires it instead of birthday cake. This method avoids the cream and butter of mashed potatoes (not that I don’t love them, any day of the week) and it can be varied according to what’s on hand, in the garden, or in the imagination. The one I’ve made here is almost a stovetop potatoes au gratin, since I’ve used gruyere. I didn’t add cream, but one of these days I just might.

Gruyere has such a nice, mellow nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with potatoes

Typically a galette is a free-form tart made with a crust of some sort, a quick, low-skill wrap-up of crust and filling. It has come to also refer to a pile of potatoes in a pan, cooked enough to have a crust and resemble a pie. It’s a wonderful side to roasted meat or sausages, or with a fried egg on top for breakfast or brunch. Even by itself it’s a hearty dish.

Potato Galette with Gruyere | 4 to 6 servings

I like a basic Russet for the galette, since it browns nicely and gets tender and melting on the inside.

3 large baking potatoes, such as Russets
1/4 pound gruyere
1/2 white onion, minced
5 to 7 fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Thoroughly rinse and pat dry the potatoes. With a sharp knife, thinly slice into rounds.

The trick to nice slices is a sharp knife -- put an edge on yours just before slicing, or use a mandoline slicer

Grate the gruyere. Mince the onions, and chop the sage leaves.

The onions and sage give the potato pie a rustic depth

Heat the olive oil in a large pan, preferably non-stick. Using a little more than a third of the potato slices, make the first layer.

Start from the center and work your way to the outer edge

When the first layer is complete, press firmly on the layer to flatten it. Distribute half the onion, cheese and sage over the first layer. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

This helps to press the potatoes flat onto the pan, making a nice even crust on the bottom -- which becomes the top!

Distribute the onions evenly over the layer

Again, a nice even distribution

Using half of the remaining potatoes, make another layer. Press to flatten. Distribute the remaining onion, cheese and sage over the layer, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

This is the second potato layer

And this is the remaining cheese, onion and sage

Make a final potato layer and press firmly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Potatoes absorb salt, especially, like a sponge

Cover the pan and cook the potatoes over medium low heat until tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Give the pan a firm shake to loosen the bottom crust. Invert onto a plate.

Place the plate over the pan and invert quickly and decisively!

Serve hot. And hey, it’s almost pie.

Warm layers of potato and melting gruyere

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.

Taking the baked potato to a new level

I made short ribs the other day for guests, and was looking for an interesting potato preparation to go along with them. I considered mashed potatoes, then garlic mashed potatoes, then baked potatoes, and even scalloped potatoes. I finally landed on the idea of a combination of all of those things, a sort of deconstructed version of mashed, scalloped and baked.

Baking the potato allowed me to serve only half on each plate — with the creamy garlic sauce and the short rib that seemed rich enough. I’m starting with the baked potato here, and I’ll have the short ribs in the next post. This is so simple and low maintenance, but it raises the baked potato far above its humble station. By the way, everyone ate the potato skin, it was that good.

Baked Potatoes with Garlic Cream | 4 to 6 servings

This serves six eaters if everyone gets a half potato. There might have been a call for seconds if the main dish wasn’t rich. Russets are great for baking since the flesh becomes light and fluffy when cooked, perfect for the garlic cream.

3 large russet potatoes
4 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
Minced parsley

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Scrub the potatoes and pierce them 5 or 6 times with a skewer.

Plain ol' russets make the best baked potato

I have a metal skewer that I always use for piercing potatoes, but any skewer will work just fine

Place the potatoes right on the rack in the preheated oven. Cook them for 1 hour and 15 minutes. This makes a nice crunchy skin.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the garlic cream. Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and peel away the paper. Trim the root.

This is an easy way to remove the paper -- it cracks away from the garlic clove when you give the side of the knife a good thump

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook the garlic cloves over very low heat for 30 minutes. They should not burn or even brown — only color slightly.

I bent an ordinary fork to make this task easy -- shows how often I cook garlic like this in my little saucepan

Smash the soft garlic with a fork or masher. Add the heavy cream and salt.

Sometimes heavy cream is just what works best

Mix well and continue cooking at a very low simmer over low heat for another 15 minutes. The cream will reduce slightly.

When the potatoes are done, slice them in half lengthwise. Mash them slightly with a fork and spoon some of the cream over the top.

Just three or four mashes to open the potato up for the cream

Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

(Next time I think I’ll try them with chives…)

Kelly McCune © 2010

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.

Tarts greens, salty olives, a little heat from the peperoncino, and ah, garlic

I was introduced to the worthy triumvirate of aglio, olio e peperoncino so long ago I can hardly remember who whispered it to me.  Maybe it was The Husband, who had spent time in Italy as a poor student (a+o+p is the essence of cheap eats). Maybe it was my friend, Rob, who is from a full-on, Long Island inhabiting, big-casseroles-of-zitti-Italian-American family. Whatever dream it came in on, garlic and minced hot peppers slow-cooked in oil and tossed into hot pasta has stood in as my macaroni and cheese. I use the oil base for so many dishes, and after all these years I’m still experimenting with how and where to apply it.

To me it's the "Holy Trinity" of Italian cooking

Potato Salad with Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino | 6 servings

I’m starting with the basic recipe for garlic and hot peppers cooked in olive oil. You can go on with the potato salad recipe or add the concoction to hot pasta and toss it with chopped fresh parsley, brush it onto pizza dough for a “white” pizza, or use it in a marinade. Leave out the pepper flakes if your small eaters object. I prefer the flavor of Italian olive oil here, green in color, first pressing.

1/3 cup olive oil
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 3/4 pound small potatoes (new, baby red, baby Dutch, fingerling, small purple)
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 green onions, white part and 2 inches of the green, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 tablespoons capers, and some of their juice
20 pitted black olives, halved
1/4 bunch watercress, or other tart green such as arugula or Italian parsley

In a small saucepan, begin heating the olive oil over low heat. To separate individual garlic cloves from the head of garlic, place the whole head with the root end up on a board.

With the heel of your hand, give the whole garlic head a firm downward smack against the board right at the root

The force of the smack will break the cloves away from the root -- sometimes you need to give it another go but this was a dry head of garlic and broke up more than I'd have liked it to

To peel the garlic clove, use this simple method. Place a large knife flat on top of the clove. Give the top of the knife a firm smack with the heel of your hand. You’ll hear the paper crack away from the clove.

It's just a quick little blow, enough to crack the paper

Cut the little root end off the garlic clove and peel the paper off with it. The harder you smack the knife, the more smashed the garlic will be, so to keep the garlic clove whole use just enough force to loosen the papery layer. Slice the cloves into thin rounds and add them to the oil.

I don't mind the smell of garlic on my fingers, but if you want to get rid of it, rub your fingers with a lemon slice

Add the hot pepper flakes to the oil and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes or so. The garlic should not get very brown.

The smell of the garlic cooking is hard to resist

This is the color the garlic should be when it is cooked -- only slightly browner than its raw color

While the garlic is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the potatoes into large bite-sized chunks.

I've used a combination of baby Dutch and small red potatoes

Add the salt and potatoes to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to a low boil, and cook, covered for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender but not falling apart. Drain immediately. Put the hot potatoes into a large bowl and drizzle with the vinegar, tossing the hot potatoes as you go to distribute the vinegar evenly. Do the same with the olive oil mixture, tossing well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The potatoes hold their shape but are quite tender

Add the remaining ingredients.

I like to have a color balance -- and I like to balance the sweet (pepper) with salty (olives & capers) and tart (greens)

With a base of potatoes flavored with a little vinegar and the olive oil combination, any ingredients can be added. Try red onion, feta, chopped parsley, or hard-cooked egg, proscuitto, and arugula. Or how about cooked bacon, sweet onion, roasted pepper, and…well you get the idea!

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.