sexy scalloped potatoes...yeah...i said sexy

Ok...so potatoes are not known for being a particularly sexy vegetable. They grow in the dirt, are plump, and brown. And they tend to be treated as such...either baked and topped with sour cream and chives or mashed with roasted garlic, milk, and butter. It's got it's standards...and plays a ton of supporting roles...in soups...stocks...roasts...but rarely ever does it steal the show. Well...this dish is going to change all that. Thinly sliced potatoes stewed in a bath of simmering cream, fresh chopped rosemary and thyme, butter, nutmeg and salt and pepper, then baked off in the oven with crispy bacon and topped with fresh shredded white cheddar...sounds sexy doesn't it ? Well it is...and despite these being largely an accompanying dish, people will be talking about the potatoes and not necessarily the steak.

A note on kitchen tools here. I currently work largely in the theater industry, on the technical side, and grew up building scenery in a number of shops across the country. There is an old adage that states...a good carpenter never blames his tools. Fair enough...but a good carpenter also has tools he can trust, and the right tool for the job. The same holds true for the kitchen. I'm a bit of a gadget guy...but in the kitchen...and good set of knives, a good board, and pots/pans you're comfortable with and you're mostly good to go. That being said, I wouldn't make this dish (or say...homemade potato chips) without a mandoline. This dish, and something like potato chips, relies heavily on the potato being sliced thin...like really thin...and uniformly so that everything cooks at the same rate and it finishes at the same time. It really is a dish that relies on it's prep...and a mandoline is a key factor in that prep. I, luckily and lovingly, was given a mandoline for my birthday this year...and instantly began slicing my way through dishes and presentations previously unexplored in my kitchen. Below is a discovery on that expedition...

Scalloped Potatoes

4 slices of bacon

5 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8" thick

2 C half and half

4 tsp butter plus more to butter baking dish

2 sprigs of rosemary chopped

4 sprigs of thyme chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

1 C shredded white cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Chop bacon slices into small pieces, about 1/4" square. Place in a pan over medium to low heat. The key to crispy stove top bacon is low and slow...bring it up to temp in a cold pan and you'll have the crispiest most flavorful bacon you can imagine. After bacon reaches desired level of doneness, remove from heat and reserve in a bowl lined with a paper towel.

Scrub, peel, and slice the potatoes. Place butter, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, garlic and half and half in a large pot and heat over medium flame until butter melts. Add sliced potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Allow the pot to come to a boil...then lower the heat and simmer for 8-10 min until the potatoes are slightly tender. Remove from heat and stir in crispy bacon bits.

Butter an 8" x 8" baking dish. Place hot potato mixture in the dish, leveling as you do and top with shredded cheese. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 min until cheese is melted and charred in areas. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 min before serving.

I would have to venture that luxurious is not often a word used to describe potatoes...but I'm going to do it. These potatoes are luxurious. Velvety, creamy, herby...sexy, luxurious potatoes. That's what this dish is...enough sophistication to satisfy the foodie in all of us...and enough down to earth goodness to be obtainable by any home cook. Don't believe me ? Try it for yourself. Pair them up with some lemon thyme roasted chicken, pan seared tri-tip steaks, or even a prosciutto wrapped halibut...it'll work with them all...and may even standout on the plate. Be sure that if you're chicken, steak, or whatever doesn't get nominated for a leading role award...your potatoes will walk off with the supporting category trophy.

Mangia et statti zitto...

cheers...

dunkin