Thanksgiving and Idaho Potatoes- Potato Galette with Caraway Brown Butter

18 Nov 2012
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Potato Galette with Caraway Brown Butter

We are on Day 5 of my week long tribute to everyone's favorite Thanksgiving side dish, the potato.

When you present 7 potato recipes all in a row it's hard to pick a favorite. At least it is for me. But this Potato Galette with Caraway Brown Butter may be my secret favorite. It's basically a potato cake and it's made with Klondike Goldust potatoes from Idaho Potatoes. Which are a delicious variety, but that's not why I love this galette so much. After all, all seven of my potato recipes this week are made with top quality Idaho Potatoes.

What sets this one apart to me is brown butter.

In French brown butter has the swanky sounding name of beurre noisette. That name alone might make you afraid of making brown butter. But brown butter is a simple sauce that's very versatile. It has a nutty flavor and aroma. In fact beurre noisette translates into hazelnut butter. But there are no nuts in the recipe at all. The nutty characteristics come from toasting the milk solids in regular butter so that it turns a rich, nutty brown. But I promise you it's one of the easiest things in the world to pull off. In fact before I ever heard the name beurre noisette, I was making a version of it all the time. I just didn't mean to, and I simply called the brown stuff in my pan burnt butter. I probably tossed gallons of it in the garbage without ever knowing what I had.

If you've never browned butter (on purpose) before– keep reading. I give pretty clear directions in the following recipe. Or if you're coming to this potato party late. Here's what we've covered so far. GREG

 

Potato Galette with Caraway Brown Butter serves 6 CLICK here for a printable recipe

  • 1 sprtiz cooking spray
  • 1/2 t caraway seeds
  • 2 lb medium klondike rose idaho potatoes (or similar), unpeeled, cut into 1/8" or thinner slices with a mandoline
  • 1 t kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 t freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small sweet onion (such as maui), very thinly sliced

Place the oven rack in the center position and preheat to 425 degrees F. Set a 9-inch ring mold centered on top a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Spray inside lightly with cooking spray.

Toast caraway in a small dry skillet set over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a mortar and pestle then crush lightly. Move the seeds to a large bowl. Add the sliced potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper; set aside.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter. As it begins to melt, start swirling the pan frequently and watching the butter carefully. You will notice the butter will get foamy, and then the milk solids will begin to brown. Once that starts, remove skillet from heat. Smell the butter; it should have a nutty aroma, and be caramel in color. Pour the brown butter over the potato mixture, gently toss to coat. Arrange 1/4 of potatoes in an even layer inside the ring on the baking sheet, overlapping casually as needed. Arrange 1/3 of onion over potatoes. Repeat layers twice more, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Pour the remaining butter from the bowl evenly over the top. Carefully remove ring.

Bake in the heated oven until potatoes are tender and the top is deeply golden and crisp, about 45 minutes. Run a thin spatula under galette to loosen from parchment if needed. Slide onto a platter. Season with more salt, if desired.

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Perfect potatoes

Hi Greg,

I made this as part of my Great Blog Cook-a-thon - I had begun to wonder, as I think all food writers do, just who makes our food.  So I started making dishes from other sites and posting shots on FB.

 

This is superb.  The finished galette looked beautiful.  The caraway taste was a welcome addition, just the right amount, too.  The way the edges of the potatoes crisped up and the glorious caramelization on the bottom combined with the creaminess in the center for a wonderful interplay of textures.  Damn fine potatoes. Grazie mille.

AdriBarr (not verified) | Dec 4th, 2012 at 8:45 pm | Reply

There are those....

two words again, making me cry with joy.  Definately going on my MUST make list.

Oui, Chef (not verified) | Nov 26th, 2012 at 10:36 am | Reply

genius

Caraway brown butter? Genius. What a great idea and amazing inspiration!

Brooke (not verified) | Nov 22nd, 2012 at 10:56 pm | Reply

Noisy Butter!

That galette needs to gallup its way on over to my house.  That is a stunning dish, Greg.  The brown butter really makes it, I think.  It's like a fancy version of the scalloped potatoes our moms made.

Chris (not verified) | Nov 19th, 2012 at 5:55 pm | Reply

pretty

Love the combo of caraway and brown butter ~ makes me think toasted fennel seed would be nice too... Happy Thanksgiving friend.  I can hardly wait to  celberate your new book... keep me posted 

Geez Louise! (not verified) | Nov 19th, 2012 at 1:56 pm | Reply

Potato!!  Caraway brown

Potato!!  Caraway brown butter sounds like such a perfect idea here.  Must try. :)

Eileen (not verified) | Nov 19th, 2012 at 12:15 pm | Reply

Oh my

That photo is almost achingly beautiful!  Love caraway--it was a huge staple of the food I grew up on.  Gorgeous!

Danguole (not verified) | Nov 19th, 2012 at 10:33 am | Reply

Potatoes 5 Stars

I don't know when I"m making these, but I am. Pinning.

angela@spinachtiger (not verified) | Nov 19th, 2012 at 6:54 am | Reply

Brown Butter

I love brown butter but had never thought to combine it with caraway seeds in potato galette. How clever! This would definitely be a great turkey dinner side dish. I'll add it to be list of recipes to try. Thanks so much!

Vespa Woolf (not verified) | Nov 19th, 2012 at 4:26 am | Reply

Well, this is definitely my

Well, this is definitely my fave! Sounds delicious and it looks gorgeous. Pinning!

Joan Nova (not verified) | Nov 18th, 2012 at 7:31 pm | Reply

A meal in itself

Well, Greg, your Potato Symphony has built to a most remarkable crescendo with this Potato Galette.  It is gorgeous, and for me, it would be a meal initself.  The Klondikes, the caraway and the brown butter - wow is all I can say.   Thanks for this one.

 

About the brown butter - I love it.  I put it over veggies, pasta and often use it in cookie doughs and cake batters.  It gives an unmatched depth of flavor.

AdriBarr (not verified) | Nov 18th, 2012 at 5:45 pm | Reply

I'd rather

have this galette over mashed potates ANY day. What a beautiful thing. You make Idaho proud!

Banana Wonder (not verified) | Nov 18th, 2012 at 5:30 pm | Reply

this might just be all i need

this might just be all i need for Thanksgiving. beautiful. :-)

Valentina (not verified) | Nov 18th, 2012 at 10:18 am | Reply

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