Potato Pave Recipe
Thinly sliced potatoes bake in seasoned cream and butter until tender, press overnight in the fridge, and brown into 6 portions with crisp golden edges and creamy layers.
Equipment
- loaf pan (22 x 12 x 6cm/8½' x 4½' x 2½')
- Baking parchment paper
- mandolin
- aluminium foil
- Rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1.4 kg potatoes I used sebago
- 150 ml thickened cream 35% milk fat with included thickeners
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 30 g unsalted butter melted
Instructions
Main Preparation
- Set the oven to 180 °C. Let it heat fully before the assembled loaf goes in.
- Grease a 22 x 12 x 6 cm loaf pan, also listed as 8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches, and line it with parchment extending 13 cm or 5 inches beyond every side. The generous paper flaps need to reach across the filled pan later.
- Combine the cream, garlic powder, parmesan, and salt in a large bowl using a whisk. The seasoning should spread evenly through the cream.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices, transferring them directly into the cream as you work. Keep every slice submerged so the surfaces stay coated.
- Arrange enough overlapping slices in the pan to form two layers. Cover gaps so the bottom has an even thickness.
- Begin drizzling melted butter over the second layer, then continue stacking the remaining potatoes with butter between successive layers. A level stack will compress more evenly than one with a mound in the middle.
- Bring the parchment flaps across the potatoes, cover the pan with foil, and bake for 1½ hours or until completely tender. A sharp knife inserted into the center should meet no resistance.
- Rest the baked loaf for 15 minutes, then nest a matching loaf pan on top, load it with heavy items, and refrigerate overnight. The upper pan should sit level so the potatoes compress into an even block.
To finish and serve
- Heat the oven to 180 °C and cover a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. The lined surface will support the exposed potato layers during browning.
- Release the cold terrine by sliding a sharp knife around its perimeter. Check the corners, where the block may cling to the pan.
- Turn the pan upside down over a cutting board and tap its base firmly to release the potatoes. The chilled loaf should emerge as one compact piece.
- Square off the uneven edges with a large knife, then divide the loaf into 6 equally thick slices. Flat cut faces give each portion good contact with the baking sheet.
- Arrange the portions with a cut face against the parchment and bake for 30 minutes, then flip and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Look for golden-brown surfaces and crisp edges before removing the tray.
Notes
Ingredient tip: Do not rinse or soak the sliced potatoes. Keeping the natural surface starch on the slices helps bind the layers together during baking and pressing, and heavy cream works as the US substitute for Australian thickened cream.
Doneness: Test the center of the loaf rather than just an edge during the first bake; a sharp knife should slide right through without catching on a firm slice.
Pressing tip: Balance bags of sugar or food cans evenly inside the upper loaf pan so the press sits level. If you do not have a second matching pan, cut foil-wrapped cardboard to fit inside the loaf pan underneath the weights.
Reheating: Warm leftover slices in a single layer using an oven or air fryer until hot throughout and crisp at the edges, as microwaving softens the crust.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.