Potato Pavé

Potato Pavé sounds all French and fancy, but it’s basically a very neat, very Thomas Keller scalloped potato dish. It’s absolutely delicious. You start with three mammoth-sized one pound potatoes. The grocery store had a handy scale that I used to find three perfect one pound potatoes. I must’ve scurried back and forth between the potatoes and the scale for a good 15 minutes, picking and choosing giant potatoes. The potato search was worth it; the pavé was creamy, with crisp, crunchy edges. It was like eating a thyme, garlic infused cake of potato goodness.

Potato Pavé

1 cup heavy cream

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 pounds russet potatoes (three 1-pound potatoes if possible)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter,

1 tablespoon softened and 4 tablespoons cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Canola oil

2 fresh thyme sprigs

2 cloves garlic, skin-on, lightly crushed

Minced fresh chives

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour cream into a large bowl; season with 1 teaspoon salt

and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Peel potatoes. Trim your potatoes so they fit in your

baking dish. Set a mandoline over bowl of cream and slice potatoes lengthwise

into very thin slices. Make sure the potato slices are tossed in the cream.

2. Brush a loaf pan with half of the softened butter. Line pan with parchment paper,

leaving a 5-inch overhang on all sides. Brush parchment paper with remaining

softened butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3.Trim slices to form an even layer in the bottom of the pan; repeat process to form a

second layer. Dot with a few cubes of butter; season with salt and pepper.

Continue layering potatoes and adding butter and seasoning after every two

layers until pan is filled. Fold sides of parchment paper over potatoes. Cover

pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to oven.

4.Bake until potatoes are completely tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp

knife, about 1 hour and 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 15

minutes. Weight down with heavy cans; let potatoes cool to room temperature.

5.Remove weights and tightly wrap pan. Refrigerate potatoes at least 6 hours or up to 2days.

6.Take out the potatoes and trim sides of pave and cut into 12 equal pieces; let stand

at room temperature for 30 minutes.

7.Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add enough canola oil to coat. When oil is

hot, add potatoes, cut-side-down, along with thyme and garlic. Cook, basting

with oil, until browned on first side. Carefully turn and brown on opposite

side.

8. Transfer to a plate, top with chives and butter, enjoy!