Skillet Scalloped Potatoes with Irish Cheddar
Prátaí Scalloped·(praw-tee skaw-lupt)
Purdies – The Sacred Spud
Forget the neon-green, overstuffed abominations peddled every March. True Irish home cooking is an exercise in profound restraint, relying entirely on the pedigree of a few flawless ingredients. When a grandmother in Cork—or an expat in Ohio—builds a potato bake, she doesn't ruin it with garlic powder or leftover meat. She takes floury potatoes, bathes them in a simmering emulsion of whole milk and heavy cream, and crowns them with young, grassy cheddar. Baked in a cast-iron bastible until the edges crisp and the center melts, it is unapologetic, elemental comfort.
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes2 1/2 lb
- heavy cream1 cup
- whole milk1 cup
- young Irish mature white cheddar1 1/2 cup
- Irish butter2 tbsp
- yellow onion1 small
- garlic2 large cloves
- fresh thyme leaves1 tsp
- flaky sea salt1 tbsp
- white pepper1 tsp
- fresh chives1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven.
Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and ready a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
- 02
Infuse the dairy.
Melt the Irish butter in the cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Sauté the sliced onions until softened and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes, before adding the garlic and thyme for a quick 30 seconds. Pour in the heavy cream and milk, season generously with salt and white pepper, and bring it just to a gentle simmer. Immediately pour this hot mixture into a heatproof jug, leaving the residual butter and aromatics in the skillet.
- 03
Build the layers.
In the same greased skillet, arrange the unrinsed potato slices in slightly overlapping, concentric circles. Season every single layer lightly with salt and white pepper, scatter a handful of cheddar over it, and pour over a splash of the hot cream mixture. Repeat until the skillet is full, ensuring you save a generous handful of cheddar for the final top layer.
- 04
Bake under cover.
Tightly seal the skillet with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. The trapped steam and pre-heated dairy will force the potatoes to rapidly become tender.
- 05
Brown the crust.
Remove the foil. The potatoes should yield easily to a knife tip. Return the uncovered skillet to the oven and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes until the cheddar bubbles into a deep, golden-brown crust along the edges.
- 06
Rest before serving.
Pull the skillet from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 to 20 minutes. This mandatory rest allows the violent, bubbling cream to settle and bind to the potato starches, ensuring it holds together when you serve it. Finish with fresh chives.
Notes
The Ballymaloe Method.
Pre-heating the cream and milk before pouring it over the potatoes stabilizes the dairy emulsion, drastically reducing the risk of a curdled, greasy gratin during a long bake.
Starch is structural.
Never rinse the sliced potatoes. The natural surface starch is the primary thickening agent for the cream; washing it away will leave you with a watery potato soup.
From Cook Irish-American Food.