These small, flower-shaped mini potato stacks are rich and buttery with a beautiful scent of thyme and garlic. They are not only visually appealing, but also an excellent side dish for meat, fish and vegetables, and perfect for a dinner party.
Mini Herbed Pommes Anna are inspired by the traditional French potato dish Pommes Anna, or Anna Potatoes, where thin potato slices, seasoned with salt and pepper and coated in clarified butter, are layered in a round baking dish and baked until they form a cake.
These smaller versions, infused with thyme and garlic flavoured butter, are individually layered and baked inside muffin cups. They can be made ahead, pre-baked and then returned to the oven to brown and crisp up before serving, making them an ideal side dish for dinner parties.
They are relatively quick and very easy to prepare. The potatoes are sliced, coated in melted, garlic and thyme-infused butter, layered in a muffin tin and baked in the oven.
Much like the original Pommes Anna, this version uses a significant amount of butter, but I've also prepared the potatoes with slightly less butter, and they turned out just as well. According to Wikipedia, in the classic version, Pommes Anna are baked into a cake and then flipped every ten minutes for crisp edges and even browning. There is even a special double-lidded pan designed for this. The original recipe for these Mini Pommes Anna also recommended turning them a few times, but I only flip them once between the first and second baking. I find that this is enough, creates less of a mess, and prevents the small stacks from falling apart during multiple turns. Once fully baked and set, they maintain their shape very well.
Tip: When layering, the bottom layer in the muffin cups will become the top of the finished stacks when flipped over. Therefore, make sure the slices for this first layer are similar in size and arranged neatly. I typically begin with a small potato slice in the center and then create a tidy overlapping circle around it.
Mini Herbed Pommes Anna, much like POTATO GRATIN, are an excellent side dish for roasted meats such as HONEY-THYME ROASTED PORK FILLET, lamb, chicken, fish, and vegetables. .
How to prepare:
MINI HERBED POMMES ANNA
Recipe based on: Mini Herbed Pommes Anna, Bon Appetit
INGREDIENTS:
Makes 4 Servings
110 g (½ cup, or 1 US stick) unsalted butter
12-24 small tender thyme sprigs plus 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
800 g (1 ¾ pounds) small waxy, firm-fleshed, potatoes, each slightly larger than a golf ball, or long and thin in shape
2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Additional butter for the muffin tray
Equipment needed: a standard 12-cup muffin tray; a mandolin, or sharp knife
METHOD:
Gather all the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°fan/350°F.
Heat 110 g butter in a small saucepan over low heat until melted.
Brush the muffin tray with butter, then line the bottom of each cup with a small parchment paper disc.
Arrange 1 or 2 small thyme sprigs on top of each parchment circle. Spoon ½ teaspoon melted butter on top.
Add 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped thyme leaves and 1 clove of minced garlic to the remaining butter in the saucepan. Stir over low heat until the butter becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Wash and peel 800 g potatoes and put them into a bowl with cold water to prevent them from browning until further use. Pat the potatoes dry with kitchen paper, then use a mandoline or sharp knife to cut them into small, thin rounds (approximately 1.5 mm or 1/16-inch thick), placing them in a large bowl as you slice.
Pour the warm herbed butter over the potato slices (the butter should be quite warm at this stage to ensure it coats the cold potato slices evenly) and season with salt and pepper. Toss to ensure even coating.
Arrange the potato slices in the muffin tin: start by placing a very small potato slice in the centre of the muffin cup, then form the first layer of potatoes around it, slightly overlapping. Layer this initial round neatly, as it will become the top of the stack , once flipped over. Continue adding potatoes in rounds, and always overlapping, until you reach the top of the cup, then gently press the centre of each potato stack to compact the layers. Layer the remaining potato slices evenly among the muffin cups. Spoon any remaining butter and seasoning over the potatos.
Cover the muffin pan tightly with aluminium foil and place it in the pre-heated oven. Bake until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, approximately 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
Increase the oven temperature to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F.
Remove the foil from the pan, place a sheet of baking parchment on top of the muffin pan, then place a baking sheet up-side down over the pan. Quickly invert both pans together and gently tap them on the counter to release the potatoes onto the baking sheet. Remove the muffin tin.
The potato cakes are now on the baking sheet with the thyme sprigs facing up. Re-add any slices that may have fallen off or are stuck inside the pan, then reshape the potato slices into nice even round stacks if necessary.
Tip: after initial baking and inverting, the potatoes can be covered and sotred in the fridge, and then reheated and browned when needed.
Place the pan back in the oven and bake until the potato edges are browned and crispy, about 25-30 minutes.
Serve immediately, hot and crispy.
An excellent side-dish for roasted meats such as HONEY-THYME ROASTED PORK FILLET, lamb, chicken, fish, and vegetables.
MAKE AHEAD: The potatoes can be prepared and pre-baked up to a day in advance. Once flipped, cover and refrigerate until ready to use, then finish baking, browning and crisping when needed.
TEXT-ONLY RECIPE
MINI HERBED POMMES ANNA
Recipe based on: Mini Herbed Pommes Anna, Bon Appetit
INGREDIENTS:
Makes 4 Servings
110 g (½ cup, or 1 US stick) unsalted butter
12-24 small tender thyme sprigs plus 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
800 g (1 ¾ pounds) small waxy, firm-fleshed, potatoes, each slightly larger than a golf ball, or long and thin in shape
2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Additional soft butter for the muffin tray
Equipment needed: a standard 12-cup muffin tray; a mandolin
DIRECTIONS:
Gather all the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°fan/350°F.
Melt the butter: Heat 110 g butter in a small saucepan over low heat until melted.
Prepare the muffin tray: Brush the muffin tray with butter, then line the bottom of each cup with a small parchment paper disc.
Add thyme sprigs and butter: Arrange 1 or 2 small thyme sprigs on top of each parchment circle. Spoon ½ teaspoon melted butter on top.
Infuse the butter: Add 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped thyme leaves and 1 clove of minced garlic to the remaining butter in the saucepan. Stir over low heat until the butter becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Slice the potatoes: Wash and peel 800 g potatoes and put them into a bowl with cold water to prevent them from browning until further use. Pat the potatoes dry with kitchen paper, then use a mandoline or sharp knife to cut them into small, thin rounds (approximately 1.5 mm or 1/16-inch thick), placing them in a large bowl as you slice.
Add the butter and season: Pour the warm herbed butter over the potato slices (the butter should be quite warm at this stage to ensure it coats the cold potato slices evenly) and season with salt and pepper. Toss to ensure even coating.
Arrange the potato slices in the muffin tin: start by placing a very small potato slice in the centre of the muffin cup, then form the first layer of potatoes around it, slightly overlapping. Layer this initial round neatly, as it will become the top of the stack , once flipped over. Continue adding potatoes in rounds, and always overlapping, until you reach the top of the cup, then gently press the centre of each potato stack to compact the layers. Layer the remaining potato slices evenly among the muffin cups. Spoon any remaining butter and seasoning over the potatos.
Bake: Cover the muffin pan tightly with aluminium foil and place it in the pre-heated oven. Bake until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, approximately 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
Flip and brown: Increase the oven temperature to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F. Remove the foil from the pan, place a sheet of baking parchment on top of the muffin pan, then place a baking sheet up-side down over the pan. Quickly invert both pans together and gently tap them on the counter to release the potatoes onto the baking sheet. Remove the muffin tin. The potato cakes are now on the baking sheet with the thyme sprigs facing up. Re-add any slices that may have fallen off or are stuck inside the pan, then reshape the potato slices into nice even round stacks if necessary.
TIP: after initial baking and inverting, the potatoes can be covered and stored in the fridge, and then reheated and browned when needed.
Place the pan back in the oven and bake until the potato edges are browned and crispy, about 25-30 minutes.
Serve immediately, hot and crispy. An excellent side-dish for roasted meats such as HONEY-THYME ROASTED PORK FILLET, lamb, chicken, fish, and vegetables.
MAKE AHEAD:
The potatoes can be prepared and pre-baked up to a day in advance. Once flipped, cover and refrigerate until ready to use, then finish baking, browning and crisping when needed.
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