Cast-Iron Potato Galette

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 320°F. Line an 8¾-inch pan with baking paper. 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Scrub the potatoes and slice them thinly, with a mandoline if you have one, about 1/8-inch thick. Toss them in a bowl with the clarified butter and salt until completely coated.

Starting in the center of the pan, lay the potato in concentric circles, each new slice overlapping the previous one by about two thirds. This is your presentation layer, so you want to make it as tidy as possible! Continue to layer the overlapping potatoes until the pan is full and you’ve used all the potato. Place another square of baking paper on top, followed by a small round tray, ovenproof plate, or even the lid of a pot to provide a bit of weight for pressing down the galette. Cook in the oven for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center meets no resistance. Once cooked, color up the base on the stove or under the broiler. 

For the stove method, place the pan on the stove over a low heat, checking the color periodically. For the grill method, turn out the galette, invert it back into the pan, drizzle with olive oil and place under the grill until colored. Serve immediately. If serving the next day, once cooked, skip the coloring step, place a small weight on top, and press the galette in the fridge overnight. The next day, turn it out, cut into portions, and color the top in a high-heat oven or in a pan. 

Potato galette is great as a side dish with any main course or as a vegetarian dish on its own. Some condiments I’ve served it with include garlic yogurt, crème fraiche, pickled walnut mayonnaise, whipped cod roe, salsa verde, and chutney.

Recipe excerpted with permission from How Wild Things Are by Analiese Gregory, published by Hardie Grant Books.