MINI HERBED POMMES ANNA

These flower-like mini potato cakes are lovely. They are really tasty and look so pretty on the plate. They are relatively fast and extremely easy to make and are great for dinner parties, as they can be prepared ahead, pre-baked and then put back in the oven to brown and crisp up before serving. Based on the classic French potato dish 'Pommes Anna', or Anna Potatoes, where thin slices of potatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper and coated with melted butter are layered inside a round baking dish or ovenproof pan, these smaller versions, flavoured with thyme-seasoned butter, are a little more elaborate, as they are layered and baked inside muffin cups. 

Like the original, this recipe asks for quite a bit of butter, but I have made the potatoes also with slightly less butter and it worked just as well. According to Wikipedia, 'Pommes Anna' in their original version are turned every ten minutes during baking to create the crispy edges, and for them to brown throughout, and there is even a special sort of double-lidded pan for this purpose. The original recipe for these Mini Pommes Anna also states to turn them a couple of times, but I only turn them once between the first and second baking. I find that this is quite sufficient, is less of a mess, and prevents the little cakes from falling apart during the many turns. Once fully baked, they keep their shape well.

Bear in mind during layering, that the first layer at the bottom of the muffin cups will become the top of the potato cakes, so make sure to use equally sized potato slices for the first layer and layer them nicely. I tend to put a small potato slice in the middle first, and the create an overlapping neat round layer around this middle piece. Once turned, the potatoes look like flowers.

A great side-dish for roasted meats such as HONEY-THYME ROASTED PORK FILET, lamb, chicken or fish.

Recipe source: Mini Herbed Pommes Anna, Bon Appetit

Serves 4: 

(I tend to make 3 per person, so a 12-cup muffin pan will serve 4 people)

110g (½ cup, or 1 US stick) unsalted butter

12-24 small tender thyme sprigs plus 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped thyme leaves

1 garlic clove, minced

800g (1 ¾ pounds) small waxy, firm-flesh, potatoes, each slightly larger than a golf ball, or long and thin in shape

2 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper
Soft butter for the muffin tray

Also: a standard 12-cup muffin pan; a mandoline

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°fan/350°F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Brush the muffin cups all over with butter. Line the bottom of each cup with a small parchment-paper round. Arrange 1 or 2 small thyme sprigs in the center of each round. Drizzle ½ teaspoon butter into each cup.

Add the chopped thyme and minced garlic to the remaining butter in the saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Peel the potatoes and put them into cold water to prevent them from browning until further use. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes crosswise into very thin rounds (app. 1.5mm / 1/16-inch thick), placing them in a large bowl as you work and drizzling them with a little of the herbed butter to prevent them from browning.

Pour the warm herbed butter over the potato slices (the butter should be quite warm at this point so that it will coat the cold potato slices evenly) and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat well.

Divide the potato slices equally between the muffin cups, overlapping the slices a little to create a circular pattern. Pay attention to the first/bottom layer as this will become the top layer once the potatoes have been turned. Lightly press the center of each potato stack to compact the layers. Spoon any remaining butter and seasoning from the bowl over the potato slices.

Cover the muffin pan tightly with Alu foil and place it in the pre-heated oven. Bake until the potatoes are soft and can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, about 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and increase the heat to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F. Remove the foil from the pan; place a sheet of baking parchment on top of the muffin pan, then place a baking sheet up-side down over the pan. Quickly invert both pans together then tap them gently on the counter to release the potatoes onto the baking sheet. Remove the muffin tin.

The potato cakes are now on the baking pan with the thyme sprigs facing up. Add back any slices that may have fallen out or are stuck inside the pan, then shape the potato slices back into nice even rounds if necessary.

Put the pan back into the oven and bake until the edges of the potatoes are browned and crisp, app. 25-30 minutes.

MAKE AHEAD: Apparently (but I have not tried this yet!) the potatoes can be made one day ahead. Cover and chill until further use. 

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MINI HERBED POMMES ANNA 

Serves 4: 

(I tend to make 3 per person, so a 12-cup muffin pan will serve 4 people)

110g (½ cup, or 1 US stick) unsalted butter

12-24 small tender thyme sprigs plus 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped thyme leaves

1 garlic clove, minced

800g (1 ¾ pounds) small waxy, firm-flesh, potatoes, each slightly larger than a golf ball, or long and thin in shape

2 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper
Soft butter for the muffin tray

Also: a standard 12-cup muffin pan; a mandoline

1) Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°fan/350°F. 

2) Prepare the muffin tray: Brush the muffin cups all over with butter. Line the bottom of each cup with a small parchment-paper round. 

3) Melt the butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. 

4) Add thyme sprigs and butter to the tin: Arrange 1 or 2 small thyme sprigs in the center of each tin round. Drizzle ½ teaspoon of the melted butter into each cup.

5) Infuse remaining butter with thyme and garlic: Add the chopped thyme and minced garlic to the remaining butter in the saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

6) Slice the potatoes: Peel the potatoes and put them into cold water to prevent them from browning until further use. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes crosswise into very thin rounds (app. 1.5mm / 1/16-inch thick), placing them in a large bowl as you work and drizzling them with a little of the herbed butter to prevent them from browning.

7) Add infused butter to potato slices, season: Pour the warm herbed butter over the potato slices (the butter should be quite warm at this point so that it will coat the cold potato slices evenly) and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat well.

8) Layer potato slices into muffin tin: Divide the potato slices equally between the muffin cups, overlapping the slices a little to create a circular pattern. Pay attention to the first/bottom layer as this will become the top layer once the potatoes have been turned. Lightly press the center of each potato stack to compact the layers. Spoon any remaining butter and seasoning from the bowl over the potato slices.

9) Bake: Cover the muffin pan tightly with Alu foil and place it in the pre-heated oven. Bake until the potatoes are soft and can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, about 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. 

10) Increase the oven temperature to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F. 

11) Invert the Pommes Anna: Remove the foil from the pan; place a sheet of baking parchment on top of the muffin pan, then place a baking sheet up-side down over the pan. Quickly invert both pans together then tap them gently on the counter to release the potatoes onto the baking sheet. Remove the muffin tin.

The potato cakes are now on the baking pan with the thyme sprigs facing up. Add back any slices that may have fallen out or are stuck inside the pan, then shape the potato slices back into nice even rounds if necessary.

12) Brown the Pommes Anna: Put the pan back into the oven and bake until the edges of the potatoes are browned and crisp, app. 25-30 minutes.

13) Serve: A great side-dish for roasted meats such as HONEY-THYME ROASTED PORK FILET, lamb, chicken or fish.

MAKE AHEAD: Apparently (but I have not tried this yet!) the potatoes can be made one day ahead. Cover and chill until further use.