Introducing Pommes Anna – also known as Potatoes Anna – the ultimate French potato cake. Thinly sliced potato, lots of butter, crispy edges, soft centre, and a big “wow” moment when you flip it out. We’ve had quite a few of those in the process of developing it!
Nagi's Notes
I let out an audible gasp the first time JB flipped this out of the pan, preceded by excited screeches that could probably be heard down the block. We are talking pure potato magic here! Just 4 ingredients – potato, butter, salt and pepper. The crispy golden edges are everything. Honestly, I want to lift the whole lid off and run away with it!
Pommes Anna
I first learned about Pommes Anna during my second year of culinary school, when I was working at a Michelin-star restaurant in my hometown, Chasselay (near Lyon). We used to make individual ones, cooked in small skillets straight on the flat top. Just one single layer of potatoes, but still so crisp and buttery. Pommes Anna quickly became one of those simple side dishes I always loved making.
For a little backstory – Pommes Anna was created in the late 1800s by chef Adolphe Dugléré at Café des Anglais in Paris. He named it after Anna Deslions, a well-known courtesan who dined there often. It has become a French classic that is still widely served today at both fine dining and family-run rustic bistros.
Now it’s your turn to learn how to make Pommes Anna. Be patient, it’s easy and fun to do, and the result is a show-off dish that looks amazing every time!
Ingredients
Only four ingredients, but the result is beautiful. Pommes Anna is one of those recipes that proves simple food can be truly special.
Potato – Starchy potatoes are the best here. They cook soft inside and absorb the butter flavour, while going crisp on the outside.
– Australia: Sebago (the dirt brushed potatoes sold everywhere) are perfect.
– US: Russet
– UK: King Edward or Maris PiperButter – Regular unsalted butter. We use it to make clarified butter (just melt it, then set aside for a few minutes. That’s it.) Using Ghee? I personally wouldn’t recommend it (see FAQ why).
Salt – Just cooking salt or kosher salt, the same one we use in almost all RTE recipes. Seasons each layer and brings out the buttery potato flavour.
White Pepper – Light pepper that blends into the potatoes without leaving black spots. Adds gentle warmth without taking over the dish. Black pepper works too, but you will be able to see it.
How to make Pommes Anna
Here’s how to make Pommes Anna. Just thin slices of potato, lots of butter, a bit of patience, and you’ll get that beautiful French golden potato “layer cake” every time.
1. Make clarified butter – it’s easier than it sounds!
Pommes Anna cannot exist without clarified butter! That is what makes the potato crispy – regular butter wouldn’t achieve the same amount of crispiness.
Clarified butter is just melted butter that is set aside so the milk solids settle at the bottom. Then you pour off the golden butter fat which is clarified butter. The butter can be melted in the microwave or in a saucepan.
For more detailed steps, see this post here – How To Make Clarified Butter.
2. making the pommes anna
Now let’s assemble the Pommes Anna.
Butter the pan – Pour 2 tablespoons of the clarified butter into a 26cm / 10” cast-iron skillet and brush it around so the whole base is coated.
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, see the FAQ for other options – other pans, cake pans etc.
Slice the potatoes – Start by slicing two or three potatoes 1.5mm / 0.06” thick using a mandolin. It’s best to slice as you build otherwise the sliced potatoes turn brown as they are sitting around.
Quickly sort the slices into small, medium and large sizes. Do not put them in water. Water washes off the starch, and you need that starch to make the slices “meld” together as they bake.
Build the first layer – Using the medium size slices, put one slice in the middle, then build a spiral around it, overlapping each slice by about 3/4. Then, using the larger slices, make a second spiral around the first one until the whole base is fully and evenly covered. If you have medium slices left, you can use them here too. The second spiral should slightly overlap the first to keep the final shape tidy and firm. Tuck some small slices inside the tiny gap in the centre, do this for every layer to keep the middle neat.
Brush / dab with one-third of the clarified butter, making sure you don’t disturb or lift the slices. Season with a third of the salt and white pepper.
Build two more layers – Repeat the same spiral pattern twice to finish the Pommes Anna, brushing with butter and sprinkling with salt and pepper. Make sure to use all the butter – otherwise your dish is not French!
Bake for 70 minutes covered with a “cartouche” (piece of baking paper, see below). Remove the cartouche, then bake for another 30 minutes, until the top and edges are deep golden and crisp.
A cartouche is just a round piece of baking paper (parchment paper), it protects the top from drying out too fast and helps control evaporation, so the layers cook evenly. (See here for how to make a cartouche).
7. Rest the Pommes Anna for 10 minutes on the counter. It will set a bit and will be easier to flip.
8. Flip it onto a plate, lift the pan and enjoy that moment when the golden layers appear. Now it’s time to get your fork out and dig into this beautiful Pommes Anna!
How to serve Pommes Anna
The truth is that Pommes Anna would pair with a lot of dishes. But STEAK would be my number one answer! Think juicy Tomahawk, Skirt Steak or even Prime Rib or Rump Cap. I would swipe right for all of them! And it would also be perfect with a simple Roast Chicken, Crispy Skin Fish or Pan Seared Salmon. Choosing would be the hardest part here! Don’t forget to also serve it alongside another side dish like Garlic Peas or Roasted Asparagus.
And that’s Pommes Anna! Crispy, buttery, and guaranteed to make everyone at the table go quiet. I cook it when I need silence from Nagi at the office. Please give it a go and don’t forget to leave feedback!
Bon appétit! – JB 👨🏻🍳
FAQ – Pommes Anna
No, sorry, the potatoes will turn brown. Once they’re sliced, they oxidise fast. This dish is best made and cooked straight away for the nicest colour and texture.
Yes! Cook it fully, let it cool in the pan. Then when ready, reheat in the oven until hot inside. It reheats beautifully.
You don’t have to use cast-iron, but it really is the best. It heats evenly and browns like a dream. You can still use a regular oven-safe pan or even a cake dish, just make sure it’s the same size, around 24cm / 9.5”. The heavier the pan, the better the crust and colour.
You can use ghee (ratio is the same) but I would personally not recommend using it for this recipe. The flavour is stronger and nuttier than clarified butter and it can take over the delicate buttery taste we are after. Clarified butter has a cleaner, more neutral butter flavour
You can place it under the grill for 2–3 minutes on the middle-high shelf to get more colour. Just make sure to keep a close eye on it so it. Leave it a little longer if needed.
I started this recipe on my own, doing the research and testing the first couple of versions. Then I talked it through with Nagi and her brother Goh, who honestly has the biggest food brain out of all of us at RTE. After sharing ideas, I pretty much nailed it on the third try. Nagi cooked it once after that to test it out, and I made it two more times so we could answer all our little questions and lock it in. Team effort, classic RTE style.
Watch How To Make It
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
JB’s Pommes Anna
Ingredients
- 1.6 kg / 3.5 lb medium starchy potato , around 200g / 7oz each, (7cm / 3” wide), unpeeled (Aus: Sebago dirt brushed, US: Russet, UK: Maris Piper, King Edward) (Note 1)
- 160g / 5.6 oz unsalted butter (makes 1/2 cup clarified butter) (Note 2)
- 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
Optional
- 1 sprinkle sea salt flakes , if you want (I did!)
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
- Build 3 layers of thinly sliced potatoes (1.5mm / 0.06") in a spiral pattern brushing with clarified butter and seasoning as you go. Bake 70 minutes at 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan) covered with cartouche then 30 minutes uncovered. Rest 10 minutes, flip, and enjoy!
FULL RECIPE:
How to make Clarified Butter:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave. Set aside for 5 minutes until the milk solids settle on the bottom (white stuff). Scrape off the foam, then slowly pour the clear golden butter through a small sieve into a jug while leaving the milk solids behind (discard it). That clear golden butter is your clarified butter.
How to make Pommes Anna:
- Prep pan – Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan-forced). Brush the base of a 26cm / 10" cast-iron skillet with 2 tablespoons of clarified butter. (Note 3)
- Slice potatoes – Peel potatoes and using a mandolin, slice 2 or 3 potatoes 1.5mm / 0.6" thick. Quickly sort the slices into small, medium and large sizes. Do not put them in water. (Note 4 + 5)
- Build the first layer – Using the medium size slices, put one slice in the middle, then build a spiral around it, overlapping each slice by about 3/4. Then, using the larger slices, make a second spiral around the first one until the whole base is fully and evenly covered. If you have medium slices left, you can use them here too. The second spiral should slightly overlap the first to keep the final shape tidy and firm. Tuck some small slices inside the tiny gap in the centre, do this for every layer to keep the middle neat.
- Brush / dab generously with clarified butter, taking care not to disturb or lift the slices. Season with a third of the salt and white pepper.
- Build two more layers – Repeat the same spiral pattern for 2 more layers, brushing with clarified butter and seasoning each layer.
- Cartouche – Place a cartouche (circle of baking paper / parchment paper) on top. (Note 6)
- Bake for 70 minutes. Remove the cartouche, then bake another 30 minutes until the top and edges are deep golden and crispy.
- Rest + flip – Rest for 10 minutes on the counter. Flip onto a plate and lift the pan to reveal your beautiful Pommes Anna. Serve immediately, happiness does not wait 😊
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life Of Dozer
Dozer pretending he’s here for creative input, not snacks.
Thanks for this recipe JB, it has given me another dish to add to the menu when our vegetarian adopted daughter visits for Tamworth Country Music. I worked in hospitality for decades and as such try and giver her vegetarian options that are not the old “same plate without the meat” lol (thankfully the industry has improved a lot). A wedge of this added to 2 or 3 other dishes would present well on the plate.
Separate but related, I hope to see more classic French recipes from you. It is the cuisine that is the basis for much of what we consider modern cooking, from techniques & base recipes through to ingredient matching. I believe followers of RTE could learn a lot from such recipes, including techniques that many have never come across that can be used across multiple dishes.
Was a bit of a disaster. Wish I could include photos. Maybe need to buy a cast iron pan. Was still tasty. Looked nothing like the pic.
Hi Erin, I’m really sorry it didn’t turn out the way you hoped! I wish I could see the photos too, it always helps to troubleshoot properly. Can I ask what kind of cooking vessel you used? And do you think your oven might be running a bit hot? It can happen. I’m glad it was still tasty.
Despite having a sticking issue getting it out of my cast iron vessel, this was an absolute triumph of potatoey goodness. I will add more clarified butter to the base next time, and also coax the base to release with an offset spatula before inverting next time. Thank you for such detailed instructions JB. I think what I love most about French cooking is how you can use just a handful of basic ingredients (butter, salt, pepper, potatoes) and end up with such a delicious, glassy-crisp yet creamy concoction! We had these potatoes with rare roasted picanha (rump cap) and bearnaise with seasonal asparagus. So few ingredients, such as amazing result. Thank you for all the technique tips, JB. It’s very much appreciated!
Thanks Eva, this makes me so happy to read! Even with the little sticking moment, it sounds like you absolutely nailed it. And you also figured out what to do next time to fix the issue! Good Job! And that dinner, beef, potato and Béarnaise, can’t get any better. 🙂
I first came across something similar same process with layering but I cook it in a skillet on the stove top on low heat flip half way on plate return to cook the other side ut was a recipe from Margaret Fulton’s cookbook. Not tried in oven this looks a whole lot easier than flipping it over.
Thank you for leaving a comment! Please let me know how it turns out when you try it 🙂
Made this for my potato loving husband (whose father was a spud farmer). Needless to say I had a harsh critic. It says it feeds 8, it only fed 2 adults and too children, only because we couldn’t stop ourselves! Thanks JB
Hi Carly, to finish the whole thing with only 4 of you, you must have loved it! Thank you for your comment 🙂
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! The only thing I did different was sub half the salt with garlic salt.
Hi Amy, I’m so glad to hear that!!
Is it ok to leave the skin on the potatoes? I’ve always loved the taste & texture of the skin
Hi Summer, I haven’t tried with the skin on but it should still work yes.
Love the sound of this recipe.
Love the French Beret on Dozer!!
Thank you Suzanne!
Looks poncie, I signed up for your recipes not apron string holding “JB”🤣🤣
That’s very rude. There are plenty of other recipes on here. You can just not read this one (let alone comment negative things)
I first came across something similar same process with layering but I cook it in a skillet on the stove top on low heat flip half way on plate return to cook the other side ut was a recipe from Margaret Fulton’s cookbook. Not tried in oven this looks a whole lot easier than flipping it over.
Hi Joe, I’m not really sure what you mean, but we are sorry if something we said or did upset you, that was never our intention.
Hi JB and Nagi, I made Pommes Anna last night and my wife and I loved it. I had trouble making the cartouche, my waste paper basket loves me, so I carefully cut a circle to place on top. Arts and crafts were never my strong suit.
I used a springform pan baking paper liner. So much easier!
Thank you for making it Felipe and I’m glad it was a hit! Also great job on finding your way around the cartouche 🙂
This is possibly the only way I have ever cooked potato, so definitely on the list for this week. Our daughter in law who has your dinner cookbook has only six more recipes to cook, her aim for this year was to cook every recipe in that book!
Thank you for your comment Sally, I am so impressed by your daughter in law! What a performance, only 6 go should be easy for her now 🙂
Merci JB! Tes recettes sont excellentes. C’est une belle représentation de la culture française en Australie et surtout, elles sont réalisables avec des ingrédients locaux.
Merci, merci, merci!
Merci pour ton commentaire Olivia! Je fais de mon mieux et cela à l’air de plaire 🙂 On va continuer!
This website has been our go-to for a very long time, not only because the recipes are fabulous (Haven’t found one yet that we done like! 🙂) but also because of all the cooking techniques and tips we’ve learned over the years. We rarely eat out anymore because what we prepare at home is far better! We look forward to making this recipe a part of our Christmas celebration this year.
Many thanks to you for all that you have shared with us!
Thank you for your great comment Barb! We are so glad RecipeTin Eats recipes work so well for you and your family! Let me know how the Pommes Anna goes 🙂
Well said! Couldn’t agree more!
Dear Nagi,
sorry to bother you about this, but have you changed the ads on your website? Instead of pictures (which are easy to ignore), the ads are now short videos which are being replayed again and again. It’s really bothering, when I’m trying to read your receipes.
I completely understand your use of ads, but is there a way to switch off the shorts and return to ‘normal’ ads?
Thanks!!
Hello Naomi,
We’ve had animated and video ads on the site since the beginning really. It’s possible you only noticed them now, though I would agree that there tends to be more of them these days.
Your browser gives you the ability to control whether or not to auto-play videos that include ads. If you Google your browser and “disable autoplay videos”, you will find steps that tell you how to do this. I hope this helps!
Hey Goh,
thanks very much, that was very helpful!
I would really love to buy a mandolin. Any recommendations on one that I could buy?
Make sure you buy a knife glove with it!
Nagi has an article on recommended tools and in it she recommends the Kyocera ceramic mandolin.
Hi felicity, yes as mentioned in the other comment, Kyocera is our go-to brand for mandolin.
Can I partially prep this the night before then cook the next day? Slice potatoes and clarify butter and assemble. Then cook following day?
Read the FAQ above the recipe
Hi TK, as mentioned in the FAQ, I wouldn’t recommend it but if that helps you can cook it ahead and reheat later in the day (see FAQ also).
I have not been able to find a 24cm cast iron skillet. Can you please suggest a brand(s) that I can buy. Thanks
Lodge are great. They have a 26 cm one.
Hi David, it is actually a 26cm Lodge cast iron skillet. I got that wrong but it has been fixed now.
If I make this ahead in the morning do I leave it in the pan? Also how long to reheat?Thanks
Hi Kathy, yes you can let it cool in the pan. Reheat with the cartouche on top in a 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced) oven for 30 minutes or until hot.
I just LOVE Dozer in his French hat 🙂 Such a good boy!!!
It’s his favourite – cause he can barely feel it. A witches hat for Halloween on the other hand….not so much 🤣
A dog with discernment!
Could you not use ghee instead of clarifying butter yourself?
Hi Jane, you could but I wouldn’t recommend it. I explain why in the FAQ.