Pommes Anna
Ingredients
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes – peeled and sliced 1/16 inch thick (~5.5 medium yukon gold potatos)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper – freshly ground
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat until separated; skim off and discard the foam and pour off the clear butter, leaving milk solids behind (clarified butter). Keep warm.
2. Peel the Yukon Gold potatoes and slice very thinly (about 1/16 inch) on a mandoline or with a sharp knife. Do not rinse; work quickly and keep slices stacked and covered with a towel.
3. Brush the bottom and sides of an 8-inch heavy, ovenproof skillet (preferably nonstick, carbon steel, or cast iron) with a little clarified butter. Set the skillet over medium heat until the butter just shimmers.
4. Arrange a tight, overlapping layer of potato slices in a concentric pattern to fully cover the bottom. Lightly brush with clarified butter and season sparingly with fine sea salt and black pepper. Continue layering potatoes the same way, brushing each layer with clarified butter and seasoning lightly, until all potatoes are used (5–7 layers), pressing down occasionally to compact.
5. Press the layered potatoes firmly with a wide spatula. Cook on the stovetop until the edges begin to brown and sizzle, 5–7 minutes.
6. Place a round of parchment directly on the surface, cover the skillet tightly with foil, and transfer to the oven. Bake until a knife slides through the center with slight resistance, 25–30 minutes.
7. Remove the foil and parchment. Invert the cake: place a plate over the skillet, carefully flip to release, then brush the skillet with a little more clarified butter and slide the potatoes back into the skillet, browned side now up. Return to the oven and bake uncovered until deep golden and crisp at the edges, 15–20 minutes.
8. Rest 5 minutes. Loosen the sides with a thin spatula and slide onto a board. Cut into wedges and serve hot while the exterior is crisp.
Pommes Anna is a minimalist French potato cake that turns thinly sliced potatoes and butter into something greater than the sum of its parts. The exterior bakes into a shattering, burnished crust while the interior remains tender and layered, almost like petals. Its appeal lies in purity: potatoes, butter, salt, and pepper arranged with precision to deliver concentrated potato flavor and contrasting textures.
Created in 19th-century Paris, Pommes Anna is widely credited to chef Adolphe Dugléré at the Café Anglais. The dish was named for a celebrated Anna of the era—often cited as courtesan Anna Deslions or actress Anna Judic—though the exact muse remains debated. Traditionally made in a dedicated copper cocotte à pommes Anna, it became a staple of classic French cuisine and a benchmark of knife work, patience, and control of heat.