What do you get when you ever so carefully arrange lots of thinly sliced potatoes in a neat spiral topped with chopped shallots and crispy pancetta, and then bake until nice and tender with a crispy outside? Deliciousness!! That’s what you get! It’s called a Crispy Potato Roast and it is officially my new favorite side dish!
This is a magical dish! The flavors are so delicate and combine so beautifully to create this impressive side dish. The potatoes are placed ever so carefully into an oven safe skillet or dish and seasoned simply with just salt and pepper. Stuff some chopped shallots randomly between the potatoes and then roast to tender deliciousness in a mixture of rendered pancetta fat and butter. Oh my yumminess! I only wish I had made a bigger serving! Don and I devoured this in no time!
Be sure to plan ahead when making this recipe. It does take an hour and a half, but it is sooo worth the wait!
Equipment
- 6-inch Cast Iron Skillet (see note)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons pancetta diced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4 Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 shallot peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme stems removed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, cook the pancetta to render the fat. Once there is some fat rendered in the skillet, remove the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. (It doesn't need to be fully crispy yet, as it will cook more in the oven later.) Add 1 tablespoon of melted butter to the skillet with the pancetta fat and stir to combine.
- While the pancetta is cooking, thinly slice the potatoes. I recommend using a mandolin to get them nice and thin, but you can use a chef's knife to cut them by hand as well. As you slice each potato, gather up the slices in a neat row and set them aside.
- Arrange the rows of sliced potatoes in the skillet. Stand the slices on their sides and place them around the edge of the skillet. Then add some to the center if you have room.
- Stuff the diced shallot between the potato slices. Pour the remaining melted butter over the potatoes. Seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 1 hour. Top the potatoes with reserved pancetta and 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves. Bake for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little more fresh thyme if desired. Cut into sections and serve warm with your favorite meals.
Notes
- If you don't have a 6-inch skillet, you can use a 1-quart casserole dish for roasting the potatoes. Cook the pancetta off in a skillet and then stir the melted butter into the grease. Pour this mixture into the bottom of the casserole dish and then proceed as directed.
- This recipe can be doubled and made in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from marthastewart.com’s Crispy Potato Roast
I also recommend my Sweet Potato Chips with Garlic Aioli
Simon says
these sound amazing. Thanks for putting up this recipe. Simon
sylvie says
It’s a true work of art, a sight for sore eyes!