Time For The Greatest Potato Dish Ever!

My wife is an avowed “lover of potatoes”, so when I made this for her, she flipped – because that is part of the cooking process!

My favorite potato cake recipe comes courtesy of the legendary restaurant in Paris: Chez L’Ami Louis, and is presented this way:

The potato cake is golden and slightly crispy on the outside, while fluffy and delicious in the middle – and the best news is that you can make this dish easily, without the trip to Paris!

This is a much easier recipe than the end result may look – it’s all about mastering the “flip” of the hot pan to reveal the carmelized potatoes at the bottom:

Making The Chez L’Ami Louis Potato Cake!

Here is my step-by-step process for making this iconic “gateau de pommes de terre”…

I began with five Russet potatoes, which I peeled and then sliced thinly – you can do it on a mandolin, but I did it by hand, each slice approximately 1/4” or so thick…next, you sauté all of them together in a large NON-STICK frying pan – I used clarified butter as well:

The Pan Is Everything!

Make sure the frying pan is large enough for all of the potatoes, and has some depth to it, because this is the pan you will putting into the oven to finish the dish – and make sure it’s non-stick!

You will sauté the potatoes over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, and now is the time to pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees as well…

I added some chopped garlic in with the potatoes as well, along with a healthy amount of salt and pepper – the amount of clarified butter you use is a matter of taste, but at least several tablespoons…and I add a bit of olive oil as well – more oil will help ensure that the potato cake will caramelize int he oven and also come out of the pan easily…

After sautéing for 20-25 minutes on medium heat, the pan will look like this – and that is when you take it off the heat, and press the potatoes down evenly, so they look like a disc of goodness – and this is what you put into the oven!

Now, grab an oven mitt, because the pan will be hot! Here is what your cooked potato cake looks like when it comes out of the oven 25 minutes later:

What’s next is the most important part of the process – take a rubber spatula and gently glide it under your cake, all the way around the pan…this will loosen it up for the “flip” that is to come – that’s right, now you have to flip the cake, because the carmelized top is at the bottom right now!

You cover the hot frying pan with a serving dish, use a hot pad to grab and frying pan, and flip it over!

Again, this is your potato cake once you have flipped it over onto your serving plate…you add your raw chopped garlic and fresh parsley next:

Voila!

I’m very happy with how this potato cake turned out, and yes, it took a few attempts to get it right – I’ve had people help me with the “flip” and it’s just too awkward, so the key is a non-stick pan and good caramelization…remember when I had help “flipping” my Timpano?

Check it out:

It’s the exact same method and just have confidence int he “flip – the potatoes will come out – and you will have this to enjoy!

Thanks to Chez L’Ami Louis for the incredible dish – and you can see our entire meal at Chez L’Ami Louis – and how they serve the $125 chicken in multiples stages:

Yes, it’s a $125 BIRD! And it’s worth every penny!

See our entire meal by clicking here:

We love this bistro, as much as we love Paris – and the potatoes of Paris:

Yes, these are some cheesy potatoes, part of our last visit to Paris – here is how we tackled the “potatoes of Paris:”

Oh, and if the “flip” of the Timpano made you want to make that dish – you are thinking smart!

My effort turned out pretty well, and I you click on this story, you will see the entire recipe and what the inside of this “pasta pie” look like!

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