Monday 15 October 2012

Pommes de terre à la boulangère...

Or simply, sliced potatoes baked in the baker's oven (as not everyone owned a oven... a long time ago!), but a normal oven will do!


These are over looked for the creamy and sometimes cheesy "gratin dauphinois", which is fabulous but sometimes you need something plainer... but still very tasty! 

1 kg / 2 lbs waxy potatoes
3 shallots sliced
60 g / a quarter cup of butter or olive oil
1 litre/ 2 pints/ 4 cups of vegetable stock 
freshly chopped thyme (about heaped tablespoon)
Salt , pepper and nutmeg to taste (take into account the salt content of your stock!)

Quite simply slice the potatoes, skins on or off.  Slice thinly but don't wash as we want the starch to stick the slices together.   Oil or butter your dish and start layering them neatly and tightly.  For every layer, put in a little butter or olive oil, a few slices of shallots, thyme, a little nutmeg, pepper and a bit of stock.  Repeat the layers to the top.  Bake in a hot oven of 200°c / 400°f  for an hour or until you knife goes in the middle and there is no resistance.  All the stock should have boil away.

17 comments:

  1. I can't keep up with all this! lol
    This potato dish looks tasty! On the list!
    Ivan, you would be proud if you saw us today at a market in the Annapolis Valley buying/stocking up on veggies for soup.....the recipe you had last week for chick peas being the 'foundation'. The black bean soup I made Saturday was lovely and I added buttercup squash as well.
    Today we bought small pumpkin, turnip, more squash, and a very large bag of Cortland apples for both eating and cooking.
    This morning I made a lentil/sweet potato soup....will have that tomorrow.
    There! Enough already. Thanks for the 'kick in the pants'! Doesn't take much to get me going.

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    1. Hello Jim,
      Thank you for the kind words and an even bigger thank you for the kind 'shout out' on your wonderful blog. I am happy you are cooking up a storm! My other half says the Annapolis Valley is famed for its vegetables and fruit growing because of the milder climate, he went as a child and remembers how beautiful it was. I am just so happy to be sharing my recipes.
      Ivan

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  2. This is a dish that Ken makes, too, and we should do it more often. Your photo is making me hungry for some right now... it's not even 08h00 yet!

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    1. Hello Walt,
      Happy it looks good, it's true we don't eat it often either but really enjoy it when we do!
      Ivan

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  3. Oh this sounds like a nice dish! Not to mention easy to perform as well, not that I'm afraid of a challenge in the kitchen.. But, sometimes it's nice to be able to save some time. The other day I made Butternut squash soup with chilli & crème fraîche for the very first time. ( I'm still a novice in the kitchen and have a lot to learn ) I was very surprised how easy it was to make, and how wonderful sweet it tasted, even with the chilli.

    I Like your blog very much and was so happy when I saw your face in my blog as a follower. You are warmly welcome!


    ~ Aina ~

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    Replies
    1. Hello Aina,
      Firstly a big welcome and thank you for your kind words. I really enjoy your blog it is very inspiring and I love your eye for style. I hope I can give you some different ideas to cook some more dishes you may like. Thank you also for including me on your food blog roll - very kind of you.
      Ivan

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  4. Hi, I'm dropping by from Jim's blog. He said you had some fantastic recipes. Was he ever right. You had me with those potatoes at the top. Yum!

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    1. Hello Kittie,
      Thank you very much for joining and dropping in. I am so happy that my food pleases you.
      Ivan

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  5. I could eat that entire dish for dinner. Nothing else. Maybe a glass of wine! Harriet

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    1. Hello Harriet,
      Then we shall feed you this when you come to stay, but you may want something else as well. You have to have wine though!! I must say... I ate too much of it!!!!
      Ivan x

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  6. I love this dish so much. My mum often used to bake this to accompany Sunday lunch when I was a child. I always love a recipe where the name tells a little story. Your potatoes look utterly delicious. Hope you are well Ivan.

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    1. Hi Gillian,
      Thank you, a classic that always pleases! I am very well thanks for asking, looking forward to a busy season, love this time of year! We just found a rogue pumpkin growing behind our compost heap... just in time for Halloween!!
      Ivan

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  7. Yum! I'm a blog friend of Jim's. I will make this dish - what's a waxy potato?

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    1. Hello Terry,
      Welcome and thank you for joining us! Went to your blog earlier, you have such beautiful horses and that view! We are right in horse breeding country here, lots of foals to be seen in late spring. I rode most weekends in my early teens, fond memories!
      Ivan

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    2. Nearly forgot... Waxy potatoes are starchy ones that crisp up. If you can bake it or make fries it will be fine. (small salad ones not good)
      Ivan:-)

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  8. Ah, this would be a nice change from scalloped potatoes!

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    Replies
    1. Hi,
      Exactly, it is also really good for when you have a lot of people to feed, as it doesn't need a lot of tending and it is quick to serve. Thanks for dropping in.
      Ivan

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