Julia Child’s Grated Potato Galettes is a simple, but elegant dish to serve for any occasion. Think of hash browns on steroids! The Grated Potato Galettes from Julia Child’s The Way to Cook are not only absolutely delicious, but also easy to make with a minimum of ingredients.
The Way to Cook is an incredible cookbook that has never failed to produce exceptional results. The Grated Potato Galettes are no exception.
Ingredients for Grated Potato Galettes à la Julia Child
I used the following ingredients: Baking potatoes, clarified butter, salt and pepper.
Preparing the Ingredients for the Grated Potato Galettes à la Julia Child
It is imperative that baking potatoes be used and that they are cooked far enough in advance that they are cold for the proper grating. Therefore, before I left for work this morning, I steamed two large baking potatoes for about 20 minutes until they were slightly underdone. Then, I refrigerated the potatoes until I was ready to grate them.
I also made the clarified butter ahead of time. First, I started with a stick of unsalted butter that I had cut into small pieces and placed in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Then, I microwaved it on 50% power for about 2 minutes, checking it at the 1 minute mark, until the butter was melted and the milk solids had separated.
The trick in making clarified butter is to remove the milk solids from the butter. Sometimes, the milk solids float on the top of the clarified butter, sometimes they sink to the bottom and sometimes they do both.
I used a gravy ladle to carefully skim off the milk solids that floated to the top. Then, I carefully poured off the clarified butter, leaving behind any milk solids that had sunk to the bottom.
Making the Grated Potato Galettes à la Julia Child
I started by peeling the cold potatoes. Then, I rubbed them through the large holes of a box grater onto a baking sheet.
After that, I placed the grated potatoes in a large bowl. Next, I tossed them with a half teaspoon of Kosher salt and a quarter teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
When it was time to start cooking, I added half of the clarified butter to a 10-inch skillet. Then, I heated it over medium heat for several minutes.
When the butter was hot, I added the grated potatoes and pressed them lightly to form a compacted disk.
I cooked the potatoes over medium heat for about 13 minutes until they were browned and crispy on the bottom. Then, I carefully flipped the galette onto a plate and added the rest of the clarified butter to the skillet. After that, I slid the galette back into the skillet to cook the other side.
After another 13 minutes or so, the underside of the galette was perfectly browned and crispy. I turned the galette onto a cutting board, sprinkled it with chopped fresh parsley and cut it into serving size pieces.
The Grated Potato Galette à la Julia Child was a perfect – buttery crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Sometimes, I make individual galettes rather than a large galette. Double Yum!
I first blogged about this amazing dish on April 2, 2016. Since then, I’ve made the potato galette a number of times with consistently perfect results. Therefore, I decided to update the post with new pictures and improved text.
If you like this dish, you should try my Pommes Anna or Irish Pan Haggerty.
Grated Potato Galettes are buttery crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. They are easy to make and an elegant side dish.
- 2 large baking potatoes about 12 ounces each (See Tip 1)
- ½ cup clarified butter or olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Several hours or a day in advance: Scrub the potatoes under hot running water; then steam them for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are almost but not quite cooked. After 15 minutes, pierce one with a sharp small knife which should just penetrate. Cut one of the potatoes in half crosswise: if there is a raw central core, steam several minutes more. (If the central core is not cooked through, it can discolor.) Let the potatoes cool uncovered or refrigerated; the potatoes must be thoroughly cold before you grate them.
Peel the cold potatoes and rub through the large holes of a box grater onto a baking sheet or tray (the food processor does not work well here). Toss lightly with a sprinkling of salt (try 1/2 teaspoon) and pepper (try 1/4 teaspoon), leaving them loosely massed; set aside until time to sauté.
Heat half of the clarified butter in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add grated potatoes. Sauté over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, pressing the potatoes together lightly with a spatula, until the bottom has crusted and browned. Flip onto a plate; add remaining clarified butter and slide galette back into pan; sauté to brown the other side, about 10 minutes. Cut into serving pieces. Yield: 4 servings. (See Tips 2 and 3)
- Russet potatoes work best in this recipe because of their starch content. Avoid Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes.
- The galette may be sautéed ahead of time and reheated briefly in a 425° F oven.
- Rather than making one large galette, you can make individual galettes. Also, rather than flipping the large galette, you can brown the top under the broiler.
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