ISO - name unknown potato side dish

[stevem]

I want to find a recipe for a particular potato side that often comes with steak at mid to high class restaurants. (You wouldn't need to go to the Four Seasons but you sure won't find it at House of Pies).

The only problem is I don't know what it is called!

The name that comes to mind is Potato Pancakes, but I may be way off on that.

Basically it is a flaky potato thing. It has many many layers and is very moist, it has some sort of sauce or cream on and in it as well.

When I say flaky I don't mean dry and then sauced, it is just many flakes or layers. It is usually round and no more than 2.5 to 3 inches high and around 3 inches in diameter, I've had it at a few restaurants and it is almost always these measurements.

It might be called Potato Pancakes or Scalloped Potatoes or something completely different.

Does anyone know what I'm referring to? Does anyone know of a recipe for this?

Thank you so much for any help you could offer me.

-Steve

 

[Loprraine]

Well, Potato Pancakes are usually crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. No layers in that dish. If it's layers upon layers, I'm thinking you had either Scalloped Potatoes, or a Potato Gratin of sort. Tell us more of the flavour!

 

[TATTRAT]

are you thinking of a potato pave(paav-ay)? it is thin cut, layered potatoes, with alternate layers of a cheese normally, and a lot of butter, then baked.

Or even Dutchess potatoes.

 

[stevem]

The ones I've had did not have any layers of cheese but I think that they can also be made that way.

 

[auntdot]

Gosh stevem have never seen anything like that.

But just an idea.

All I can think of is a scalloped potato type of dish made in a round mousse ring. They are about 3 inches in diameter. And a couple of inches high.

Would guess one could start with very finely cut taters (maybe cut on a mousseline). Would think about 1 mm in thickness would be about right (1 millimeter is about as fine as one can cut a spud without shaving it).

Could layer in the mold with finely minced shallots, a bit of cheese such as Parmesano and/or a Gruyere or Emmanthaller (or heck just Swiss).

A bit of rosemary, maybe thyme, a tad of cream and/or clarified butter might round it off nicely.

And then bake the things.

Then I think you might have kinda, sorta the dish you mentioned.

I suppose you could alternate the layers of white potatoes with sweet ones cut similarly.

It would take a bit of playing to get it right I suppose, but it sure sounds great.

Just an idea.

 

[stevem]

Gosh stevem have never seen anything like that.

But just an idea.

All I can think of is a scalloped potato type of dish made in a round mousse ring. They are about 3 inches in diameter. And a couple of inches high.

Would guess one could start with very finely cut taters (maybe cut on a mousseline). Would think about 1 mm in thickness would be about right (1 millimeter is about as fine as one can cut a spud without shaving it).

Could layer in the mold with finely minced shallots, a bit of cheese such as Parmesano and/or a Gruyere or Emmanthaller (or heck just Swiss).

A bit of rosemary, maybe thyme, a tad of cream and/or clarified butter might round it off nicely.

And then bake the things.

Then I think you might have kinda, sorta the dish you mentioned.

I suppose you could alternate the layers of white potatoes with sweet ones cut similarly.

It would take a bit of playing to get it right I suppose, but it sure sounds great.

Just an idea.

Thanks so much for working out how I could go about making it. I really do appreciate it. (Good Karma for you - in DC and out).

I'll try out what you said.

I also did a Google image search for scalloped potatoes and the images that came up didn't really look like what I was talking about, they were all in big pans and were like a large casserole - only made of potatoes.

I guess it's possible that the restaurant made them like that they cut out a square and then very carefully rounded it out to a circle, but that seems like more work then I would imagine they would put into it.

 

[stevem]

I found it! It was a Potato Gratin.

I have no idea what that means though. Are there different kinds? When I did an image search all sorts of wierd thigns came up, but this one:

http://www.dinerestaurant.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/D70.6139.sRGB.jpg

Is it to a T.

I looked in my cookbook (The Joy of Cooking) and didn't find anything under Potato Gratin so I don't know where to find a recipe.

Anyone know how to make that?

 

[Poutine]

scalloped vs gratin?

I don't think that there is a big difference between scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin. (I think that the gratin has cheese.) Does anybody know what the difference is?

You can just make scalloped potatoes or potatoes gratin in a round dish the size you want (like a ramekin) - just make sure you don't make them to runny and you adjust the cooking time.

Here is a recipe that I think would work perfectly for you: Recipes : Potato Gratin : Food Network

 

[Michael in FtW]

Actually - gratin, or au gratin, is just thin slices of potatoes baked in cream or milk ... that's the minimum - most usually include butter and/or cheese, seasoning, and sometimes herbs.

In your Joy of Cooking - look in the index under Gratin.

Here are some potatoes au gratin recipes

As for the presentation aspect ... they may have baked the gratin in a large pan, cut them out with a round cutter, and then run them under the broiler (salamander) to brown them for presentation.

 

[Candocook]

A gratin does not have cheese--sort of in spite of our "mind's eye" of what a gratin is. As Michael said, it is "whatever" baked in cream.
Another possibility for the dish being asked about would be pommes Anna perhaps.

 

[Andy M.]

I'm glad you got your answer but wonder how you ordered them in trhe restautrant not knowing the name...

 

[BreezyCooking]

Actually, my mom does a Potato Au Gratin dish in which she layers the thinly-sliced potatoes with melted butter, minced garlic, & grated parmesan & swiss cheeses. Then cream is poured in & the entire thing is baked until the top is nicely browned & crusty.

Heart attack in a casserole, but delicious!!

 

[Poutine]

I looked up what "gratin" means
- it is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs and butter then baked or broiled to form a crisp topping
(a gratin does not have to contain cheese or potatoes but can)

Encyclopedia
Gratin (Gratinée) - definition of Gratin at FoodWords.comgratin; gratinée Definition in the Food Dictionary at Epicurious.com
Gratin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[jkath]

In any sense, they look delicious. I think Michael's right on the presentation. They look cut and toasted, rather than baked in a round dish.

 

[stevem]

I'm glad you got your answer but wonder how you ordered them in trhe restautrant not knowing the name...

I didn't order them, they came with my steaks.

 

[Andy M.]

I didn't order them, they came with my steaks.

Fair enough. I would have expected them to be described on the menu but every restaurant is different.

Now that you know what they are, you can enjoy them at home!