• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Great Eight Friends
  • Gr8 Food ∞
    • Appetizers
      • Dips and Spreads
    • Beverages
      • Adult Beverages
      • Non-Alcoholic Drinks
    • Bread
      • Quick Bread
      • Yeast Bread
    • Breakfast and Brunch
      • Egg Dishes
    • Desserts and Snacks
      • Cakes and Cupcakes
      • Candy and Confections
      • Cookies
      • Fruit
      • Pies and Tarts
      • Snacks
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • 130+ Main Courses
      • Beef
      • Fish
      • Lamb
      • Meatless
      • Pork
      • Poultry
    • Salads and Dressings
    • Sauces Salsas Marinades
    • Side Dishes
      • Pasta
      • Potatoes
      • Rice and Grains
      • Vegetables
    • Soup
  • Gr8 Friends ∞
    • Gr8 Dinners
    • Gr8 Holiday Ideas
    • Other Occasion Parties
  • Gr8 Fun ∞
    • Debbie's Craft Corner
    • Gr8 Trips
      • Field Trips
      • Vacations
    • Other Gr8 Stuff
      • Our Favorite Kitchen Tools
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Who We Are
    • GR8 Party Outlines
    • Become a Gr8 Friend!
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Become a Gr8 Friend!
  • Main Courses
  • Appetizers
  • Beverages
  • Bread
  • Breakfast and Brunch
  • Desserts and Snacks
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Salads and Dressings
  • Sauces Salsas Marinades
  • Side Dishes
  • Soup
  • Gr8 Friends
  • Gr8 Dinners
  • Gr8 Fun
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Two-Ingredient Potatoes Anna by Anna

    January 20, 2021 by Anna Leave a Comment

    Potatoes Anna, or as the the French say, Pommes Anna, is the ultimate potato dish. The potatoes are crispy and golden on the outside and tender and creamy on the inside. The perfect make ahead side dish!

    When I got my first kids' cookbook at the age of about 8 for Christmas I found a recipe for Potatoes Anna.

    At that time I had never heard of this dish, I only knew that any recipe that shared my name and contained potatoes MUST be delicious!

    The method for making this incredible potato cake originated with the French and is easy but a tad bit time consuming.

    The best thing about this elegant side dish is you can make it early in the day and reheat it before serving. Well, maybe that's the second best thing.

    The BEST thing about it is... it's only 2 ingredients, potatoes and butter! Carbs and fat. Love and marriage.

    What You Need to Make this Recipe

    • An oven-proof skillet with a lid - Or you can use foil to seal the pan if you don't have a lid. The pan does not have to be non-stick (but you may prefer it); there's enough butter that if you follow the method carefully, you shouldn't need it to be non-stick.
    • A mandoline to get the potato slices really thin - Or maybe you're really good at slicing things thinly! I don't have a large one, this is the small mandoline I like to use. You can also use the food processor slicing blade, supposedly. I've never actually used it for potatoes so not sure how they come out.
    • Paper towels or flour sack dishtowels - You will need lots of paper towels or several flour sack dishtowels. The secret to these potatoes coming out just right is drying them before cooking. The towels help you accomplish this.
    • Baking Sheet - to use with the towels for drying the potatoes.
    • Clarified Butter - Here is our method for clarified butter. If you're clarifying the butter yourself, be sure to start with MORE than the 8 Tablespoons the recipe calls for because after clarifying, there is less volume. You can also buy ghee and use that. The dish will have a bit different flavor as ghee has a more toasty flavor than straight clarified butter.
    • Potatoes - For the best results use russet potatoes because they have the right amount of starch to make this dish perfectly delicious.
    • Salt and Pepper - because, everything needs a little oomph! Use the salt sparingly if you're using butter or ghee that contains salt.

    Look at these golden crispy layers of potato. And inside the potatoes are tender and creamy. Mmmmm-mmm-mmm.

    How to Make these Potatoes

    I've tried to make the instructions on the recipe card as detailed as possible with photos. Please let me know in the comments if anything should be clearer.

    Also, I'd love if you could leave a star rating on the recipe card. Thank you!

    Golden brown potatoes Anna cake on a white plate.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save this RecipeSaved!

    Please leave a rating!

    5 from 3 votes

    Anna's Tender Crispy Potatoes Anna

    This can be made early in the day and reheated when ready to serve. See instructions at the end of the recipe.
    You can use more or fewer potatoes and a larger or smaller pan to adjust the servings.
    Prep Time30 minutes mins
    Cook Time45 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Course: Potatoes, Side Dish
    Cuisine: French
    Keyword: Potato Cake, Potatoes, Potatoes Anna
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 325kcal
    Author: Anna

    Special Equipment

    • Baking Sheet
    • Paper towels or flour sack dish towels
    • 9" to 10" oven-proof skillet with lid, if no lid, you can use foil
    • Mandoline or food slicer with ⅛" slicing blade, or very sharp knife and steady hands!

    Ingredients

    • 2 ½ pounds russet potatoes
    • 8 Tablespoons clarified butter or ghee
    • Salt & pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat oven to 400°F.
    • Line a baking sheet with 2 layers of paper towels or a flour sack dishtowel. Have extra paper towels or flour sack dishtowels available.
    • Peel and slice one potato into ⅛" to 1/16" slices. Lay the slices in a single flat layer on the lined baking sheet and cover with more paper towels or dishtowel. Continue with the rest of the potatoes until all the potatoes are sliced and drying on the towels. Cover the last layer with toweling. See Gr8 Tip.
      A pile of thinly sliced potatoes.
    • Heat 2 Tablespoons of the clarified butter in the bottom of your skillet over medium-low heat.
    • Starting in the middle of pan lay one slice of potato. Then continue making circles of potato slices around the center slice. Slightly overlap each slice so you can't see the bottom of the pan. 
    • When you've finished with the first layer. Brush on some of the clarified butter then lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    • Make a second layer the same as the first, then butter, salt and pepper. Continue making the layers until all the potatoes are used up. 
      Process shot of a layer of thinly sliced potatoes topped with melted butter in a frying pan.
    • As you are creating the layers, shake the pan slightly to ensure that the potatoes are not sticking to the bottom. This is important!°
    • When all the potatoes are layered, butter a piece of foil and lay on top of pan. Put a slightly smaller, heavy pan on top of the foil and press down to compact the "cake."
      Cast iron frying pan on top of foil.
    • Remove the heavy pan and foil, cover and place the skillet of potatoes on a baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes. (The baking sheet will catch any butter that spatters from the pan.) If your pan doesn't have a lid, use foil.
    • Uncover and cook for 20 to 25 more minutes, or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.
    • Carefully drain off any excess butter. 
    • Run a thin spatula between the edge of the potatoes and the pan to loosen, then slide the spatula under the potatoes to make sure they are loose. 
    • Lay a serving plate upside down on top of the skillet and very carefully flip the potatoes onto the platter. Careful, it's hot!
    • If any pieces of potato stick to the bottom of the pan, scrape them up and lay them on top of the cake. If your potatoes don't come out looking nice, you can use Julia Child's trick below.

    Notes

    Gr8 Do Ahead Tip:
    Potatoes Anna can be made early in the day. Once the dish is completely cooked, invert the potatoes onto a plate, and cool slightly. Return the potatoes to the pan, cover and refrigerate. About 45 minutes before serving remove the potatoes from the fridge and set aside to take the chill off. Heat oven to 350°F. Put the skillet with the potatoes into the oven to reheat and crisp up, about 20 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and enjoy!
    Gr8 Tip:
    Immediately layering the potatoes on towels as you're slicing them accomplishes 2 things: 1) the potato slices dry; and, 2) keeping them covered inhibits the browning process that occurs when raw potato hits air. Do not immerse the potato slices in water as that will leach the starch from them; and the starch is needed to create the creamy interior of the Potatoes Anna.
    Julia Child's Gr8 Tip for Pretty Potatoes Anna:
    If your potatoes fall apart when you flip them onto the serving plate, simply top with some grated cheese, Gruyère or Swiss work well, and slide back into the oven until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Voilá! Cheesy Potatoes Anna! You could also sprinkle with some chopped parsley to cover the flaws.
     
    This nutritional information is only an estimate. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 788mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @Great8Friends or tag #gr8food!
    « Football Party Game Day Recipes
    Stroganoff... Beef Stroganoff »

    Reader Interactions

    Be a Gr8 Friend and tell us what you think! Cancel reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Be a Gr8 Friend!

    Talk With Us!

    • Jackie Tuler on Ina Garten's Yummy Irish Soda Bread
    • D on Ina Garten's Yummy Irish Soda Bread
    • Tracie on Gr8 Eats Bountiful CALIFORNIA
    • Kyle on Ina Garten's Yummy Irish Soda Bread
    • mmoto on Ina Garten's Yummy Irish Soda Bread
    my foodgawker gallery

    Need More Servings?

    Our recipes will do the calculation for you. Just hover over the number of servings then move the slider to the number desired. (Please be aware: this will not change pan or bowl sizes, so you may have to adjust for that.)

    It's Grilling Season!

    ThermoWorks Thermapen Mk4

    Popular Recipes

    • A mock up of the old TV Guide cover with Green Acres, Lucy and Ricky, I Dream of Jeannie, and Bewitched.
      '60s Sitcoms TV Dinner Party
    • This Buttery Crusted Strawberry Rhubarb Tart is fresh and simple to make. Grab a skillet and some fruit and you will have a delicious dessert!
      Buttery Crusted Strawberry Rhubarb Tart
    • Mixed Field Greens with Arugula Oil and Lemon Vinaigrette
      Mixed Greens with Arugula Oil and Lemon Vinaigrette
    • Spring Pea and Arugula Soup
      Spring Pea and Arugula Soup Recipe

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Our Party Outline

    As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright ©2022 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required