Classic Pommes Anna - Simple French Gratin Potato Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 kg waxy potato, peeled and very thinly sliced
225 g butter, melted
salt
fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 200\u00b0C/gas 6.
Put the potato slices in a colander and rinse under running water to get rid of the starch. Place on a cloth in a single layer and pat dry.
Generously grease the base of an ovenproof pan or baking dish with melted butter.
Arrange the potato slices in the pan in overlapping circles , brushing butter over each layer and seasoning as you go.
Cover with greaseproof paper or a lid. Bake in the oven for 45minutes or up to 1 hour. Test with a skewer to see if the potatoes are done.
Cooks Notes:
Cook this in a cast-iron, heavy-bottomed, stubby-handled frying pan that goes in the oven. Traditionally it should be lidded - mine isn't, so I use greaseproof paper.
Historical Note:
Mrs. Landemare's original recipe is:
Potatoes. Fresh butter.
Peel some potatoes and cut into very thin rounds the size of a florin. Wash in salted water and dry very well in a cloth. Well butter an omelette pan. Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Cover with oiled [melted] butter, pepper and salt. Repeat these layers until the pan is full and cook in a medium [350\u00b0F] over until brown [40-60 min.] Remove from the oven, turn out and cut into slices or serve whole in a dish.