At long last - visual aids! Proof that I'm actually making this stuff every day 
Synopsis: Today my team was charged with making Potatoes Anna, A fish veloute (light soup/sauce with fish stock and roux), and a batch of Monte Cristo sandwiches to feed our class. Have you ever had a Monte Cristo? If you have, then you’ll understand why I’m a little sluggish tonight. Those things pack a wallop! For those who haven’t tried it, it’s basically a ham and swiss sandwich on french toast, many times served with powdered sugar and fruit preserves. I can sense some eyebrows raising out there, but it’s actually really good! I’ve had variations where the entire sandwich is dipped in batter and deep-fried as well. (Yeah, it’s a once-a-year kind of indulgence.) Anyway, enough on that!
Today’s focus will be on the Potatoes Anna, a dish that flies under a lot of peoples’ radar. Probably because it involves a lot of steps for something as basic as potatoes. But it is different, and will definitely gain you some props from your foodie friends/family members for shaking things up. Like any potato dish, it is open to limitless possibilities with flavoring and ingredient variations. That’s what I love about potatoes, they’re like a blank canvas for you to decorate. This dish would be great with some good cheese melted in between the potato slices, or maybe a bit of rosemary or thyme. But the sky is the limit, feel free to experiment! Then you can have your own potato dish named after you.
Recipe: Potatoes Anna
- Russet potatoes
- Oil for frying
- Salt
- Your own signature spices or other ingredients
Start by slicing the potatoes about twice the thickness of a potato chip. This can be very difficult to achieve by hand unless you have some mad-ninja knife skills. So on this recipe, you are permitted to cheat. If you’re lucky enough to have a mandoline, use that. You can also use a salad shooter if you have one, or just your box-grater – most graters have a side that slices into approximately the size we’re looking for here.
Now it’s time to deep-fry those suckers! Make sure they are completely covered in oil, and move them around a bit to keep them from sticking to each other. Don’t put too many in at a time. We’re not looking to brown the potatoes in this step, though. They just need to get floppy, which only takes a minute or so. Take them out of the oil and dab off a bit of oil if you like. Salt and spice the potatoes at this point.
Now arrange the potato slices in an oven-safe frying pan – make a nice design of overlapping slices that covers the entire pan. It is easiest to start on the pan walls and then work your way down. Once you have a nice layer, you can add in the rest of your potatoes without too much concern. Just don’t screw up the design on the bottom. Fill the frying pan (or pans, if you’re making a lot) so the potatoes heap over the top rim a little bit, because they will shrink later.
Put the pan(s) on the stove and heat them on medium until the bottom potatoes get a nice brown color. (Which of course you can’t see, so you’ll have to guess!) You can peek down the sides of the pan to try and get an idea of where you’re at. When they brown, put them into the oven for about 15 minutes at 350, until the top gets that same nice brown color. You’re (finally) done! Flip that pan upside-down over a cutting board, and view your beautiful hashbrown-pie creation. Cut it into sections as shown above and serve.