I saw a picture of something called “potato stacks,” online last year, on a blog called Home Cooking Adventure, and I thought to myself, those sure look a lot more like roses than stacks.So, long story short, I stole the idea, and now that it has a much more social media-friendly name, I fully expect this to go viral.
The technique is straightforward, but make sure you season the potatoes generously. I use about two teaspoons of kosher salt in this, and along with the cheese, that seems to be just about right. Having said that, taste for salt varies greatly from person to person, so remember what you used, and adjust next time if need be.These would be great for entertaining, since you can make them ahead, and keep them warm in the pan, or cool and reheat in the oven when you are ready to serve. I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!
Makes 12 Potato Roses:
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
1 tablespoon minced rosemary or 2 tablespoon thyme leaves
There’s nothing I like more than getting a food wish for something I didn’t know existed, and thanks to a Mr. Patrick Ryan, I now know that tartiflette exists. This striking looking dish is basically a potato, onion, and bacon casserole, topped with Reblochon cheese.
If you haven’t heard of Reblochon, don’t feel bad. It’s illegal here. Since it’s made with raw milk, which apparently is dangerous, even though people have been eating it for centuries, it’s not allowed to be imported into the country. However, while you can’t get the real stuff, without smuggling at least, you can get a wonderful substitute, called “Dancing Fern,” from Sequatchie Cove Creamery.
If you’re wondering what it’s like, this is their description: “…soft and supple texture and barnyardy aroma, along with notes of cultured butter, shiitake mushroom, and walnuts.” You can find it at your finer cheese shops, or fromseveral online sources, and while very expensive, it really was a magnificent cheese.
If you can’t swing faux-reblochon, I’ve read about some people using half gruyere and half brie. After tasting the finished product, I can see how that combo could create a somewhat similar flavor profile. Of course, since we’re talking about potatoes and bacon, just about any melting cheese should work beautifully. I really hope you give this amazing casserole a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 8 portions:
butter for greasing casserole dish
3 pounds russet potatoes, cooked with skins on, in salted water
12 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large onions, sliced thin
salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste
1⁄2 cup drinkable white wine
3/4 cup crème fraiche
1 pound Reblochon cheese, or something similar like Dancing Fern
- 375F. for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are very tender
Every year about this time, I try to do some kind of culinary nod to St. Patrick’s Day, and this colcannon hash is the latest example. I really loved how this came out, and it made a beautiful, and delicious base for poached eggs, but there was one problem. Apparently, I didn’t invent this.
I thought I did, as I do with almost all the new recipes I create, but I figured I’d do a search anyway, just to confirm this assumption of singular brilliance. So I did, and it quickly became apparent that many others had the very same idea. Good for them.
I realize St. Patrick’s Day brunch isn’t really a thing, but if it were, this would be perfect. Although, we might have some leftover corned beef the day after, which would make this even more amazing; so maybe we should forget St. Paddy’s Day breakfast, and turn this into a hearty, day-after hangover cure instead. Either way, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 large portions:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced
2 large russet potatoes, diced, rinsed, and well-drained
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup sliced green onions (mostly the white and lighter green parts)
2 large handfuls baby kale, roughly chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated sharp Irish cheddar cheese (or any sharp cheddar)
pinch of cayenne
2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley 2 or 4 poached eggs, optional (actually, not optional)
