Potato Anna is a classic French side dish made with sliced potatoes, butter, salt, and pepper, and is known for its elegant presentation. The dish was allegedly created by Adolph Duglere, a celebrated chef during the reign of Napoleon III. The original recipe calls for copious amounts of butter, and the dish is prepared by layering thinly sliced potatoes in a skillet and pouring melted butter over them. The potatoes are then browned on both sides and served in wedges.
Potato Anna, or Pommes Anna as it is referred to in French cookbooks, is a classic French side dish commonly served with roast meats and poultry. It’s known for its simple ingredients, preponderance of butter, gorgeous textures, and elegant presentation. A significant number of home cooks object to making Anna potatoes based on its painstaking preparation and labor-intensive steps.
The history of Anna potatoes dates back to the reign of Napoleon III in France. Adolph Duglere, a celebrated chef of the time and a former student of the legendary chef Careme, allegedly created the dish when he was head chef at the Café Anglais, generally considered the best restaurant in Paris during the entire 19th century. He reportedly named the dish after a grande cocotte, or grand lady of the era. It was never confirmed which woman was the honorable, although the top three contenders are assumed to be Anna Untel, Anna DesLions and actress Dame Judic, whose real name was Anna Damiens.
The original recipe for Anne of Potatoes, and the one popularized by the late chef Julia Child, calls for copious amounts of melted unsalted butter. Modern variations of the recipe often significantly reduce the amount of butter required. However, a considerable number of traditionalists insist that plenty of butter is needed to produce an accurate representation of the original dish.
Although the ingredients for Anna potatoes normally include only butter, potatoes, salt and pepper, its level of difficulty in preparing it is generally rated intermediate to high. As with the butter content, the revised versions omit some steps for simplicity. In general, fans of classic French cuisine believe that following the original recipe is the only way to make an authentic potato Anna.
The conventional recipe calls for the raw, peeled potatoes to be cut very thin. A kitchen slicing tool called a mandolin typically does the best job of creating thin, even slices. The sliced potatoes are neatly layered in a heavy straight-sided skillet approximately 6 to 8 inches (15.24 to 20.32 centimeters) in diameter, with each layer sprinkled with ground salt and pepper. A cast iron skillet is commonly preferred for its even heating and browning abilities.
The melted unsalted butter is then poured over the potatoes until they are just covered. At this point, the decision must be made whether to cook them in the oven or on the stove. Once the potatoes are well browned on the bottom and cooked through enough to form a firm cake, they should be flipped and browned on the other side. This procedure normally involves turning the potato cake into a dinner plate and flipping it back into the pan.
This rotation procedure is repeated every ten minutes until the potatoes are evenly browned on all sides and cooked through. At the end of the cooking time, the dish is turned over onto a platter and left to rest for a few minutes. At the end of the resting period, it is usually cut into wedges for serving.
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