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Thanksgiving and Idaho Potatoes- 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.