Potatoes Anna and Japanese-Style Potatoes with Butter and Soy

Years ago Potatoes Anna were often a component of dinner parties and special family meals in our home. I stopped making them because they were so rich. Granted they were delicious, but anything made with that much butter should be be good! One of my daughters told me that Cooking Light had a recipe for Pommes Anna and suggested that I give it a try. I did, but I've found my tastes have changed. There's no denying the potatoes are delicious and beautiful to look at, but after such a long absence on our table I thought they looked a bit contrived and a bit too perfect for a table that has relaxed - considerably - with the march of time. Earlier this year, I had the good fortune to stumble on a recipe for Japanese-style potatoes with butter and soy on the blog Just Hungry. These potatoes are simple to make and they are really flavorful. As it happened we sampled the potatoes back to back and that made it easy to compare them. Both are delicious, but unless the pope or the president come for dinner the Japanese-style potatoes are a hands down winner.

Potatoes Anna

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 F.
2) Combine salt and pepper in a small bowl. Melt 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter in an oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
3) Arrange a single layer of potato slices, slightly overlapping, in a circular pattern in pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper mixture.
4) Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of melted butter over potatoes in pan.
5) Repeat the layers 5 times, ending with butter and pressing down firmly after each layer to "pack" them together. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes, or until potatoes are golden.
6) Remove from oven and loosen the edges with a spatula. Place a plate upside-down on top of the pan; invert the potatoes onto the plate. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 6 servings.

Cook's Note: For best color pat potato slices dry before layering. This recipe first appeared in Cooking Light magazine.




Japanese-Style Potatoes with Butter and Soy

Ingredients:
1 pound tiny Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and unpeeled
Salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Black pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2) Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with heavily salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until just fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Alternatively, potatoes may be placed in a single layer in a microwavable container to which 3 tablespoons of water is added; cook on HIGH power for 10 minutes, or until tender.
3) Melt butter in pan; add soy sauce. Return potatoes to pan; lightly toss to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until potatoes are brown and cooked through. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley. Yield: 4 servings.

This recipe was developed by Maki and can be found on her blog Just Hungry.

Im sending this entry to Christie at Fig and Cherry who is hosting this month's Potato Ho Down. The Potato Ho Down event is the brainchild of Cathy who can be found at Noble Pig.