Potatoes Gratin

This gratin is one of my favorite special occasion side dishes – thinly sliced russet potatoes, arranged in layers, dotted with butter, smeared with minced garlic, and sprinkled with salt and pepper. It’s baked in the oven until the potatoes become golden brown and crispy. The beauty of this dish is that it can be made ahead of time and reheated. It pairs well with pot roast, steak, or in place of hash browns for Sunday brunch. 

• 3 pounds russet potatoes
• 4 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• kosher salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450º. Brush the bottom of an oven proof skillet with 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, set aside.

2. Peel potatoes and slice as thin as possible – about 1/8″. Starting in the center of the pan, slightly overlap potatoes in a circular pattern, until the surface of the pan is covered. With a brush, lightly dab butter on potatoes. Rub half of the garlic over the potatoes, season with salt and pepper. Repeat with another layer of potatoes, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper, then another layer of potatoes.

3. Brush remaining butter on a piece of foil, cover skillet, and weigh it down with a cast iron skillet. Place in the preheated oven and bake for an hour. Remove from oven, run a heat proof rubber spatula around the edge and invert onto a plate. Serves eight.