Well, how’s it going out there? Are you all still on a Valentine’s luuuuv high?
Not much going on around here. We’re having a quiet week. Our little Valentine dinner on Saturday night was Wunderbar (if I do say so myself!) so I thought I’d post the potato recipe that I made. We love these potatoes, but they’re expensive to make, so it doesn’t happen very often. And the expense is compounded because I always make them with the Steak Au Poivre* recipe, because the sauce made for the steak is awesome and even though these potatoes are plenty moist, they’re even better when they’re dragged through the steak sauce.
Potatoes Savoyarde
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. finely chopped parsley
1/2 lb. (or a little more — the more the better!) Gruyere cheese, shredded (Gruyere is very expensive and you could probably use other cheeses, but I think Gruyere cheese is why we love this dish so much.)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 – 6 russet potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (this is a very generous amount — I think you could get by with a little less.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees**. Brush the bottom and sides of the baking dish with melted butter. In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, parsley, cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Layer 1/3 of the potatoes in the prepared baking dish, sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese mixture over the potatoes, and dot with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Repeat once more. Then, layer the last 1/3 of the potatoes. Pour the chicken stock over the potatoes, sprinkle the last 1/3 of the cheese mixture and dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Cover with buttered aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue baking, uncovered, for 30 – 40 more minutes or until the top is crusty and browned and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve immediately.
On a totally unrelated subject, look who’s back!
It’s Paul (TheSecondChild’s 8 month old kitty), who’s here for several weeks, since TheSecondChild will soon be going on spring break. And, as you can see, Paul is displaying some very poor guest manners. In case you can’t tell, that’s the ceiling behind Paul, and he’s on top of my kitchen cupboards. Our ceilings are 9 ft. high, so that’s quite a feat for and adventurous kitty, and he had to have help getting down. When I expressed my dismay over Paul’s lack of manners to TheSecondChild, he responded, “Well, he thinks he’s a cookie jar.” I think he was just letting that dog know who’s boss.
Tomorrow is a travel day for me and I’m already behind on your posts. I hope you’re having a good week!
XOXO,
Anna
* The Steak Au Poivre recipe that I like calls for beef demi-glace which is painfully expensive. It says it will keep for 6 months which, considering how infrequently it’s used, isn’t nearly long enough. I keep my jar in the freezer. It’s been in there forever and it’s still working just fine. If you don’t want to spend that much money, Ina Garten has a Steak Au Poivre recipe without the demi-glace, which she claims is just as good.
** So, what do you do if you don’t measure your oven temp the way we do in the states? You go HERE, to a fun and very helpful British cookbook primer for some conversion tables!
Those potatoes look great! I might just have to splurge on some Gruyere.
The long weekend was very lazy in this house. I hope to get more accomplished during the week.
Oh man! My mouth is watering after seeing those delish-looking photos!! And steak au poivre…yum! :)
Those potatoes sound wonderful!
My cat likes to hang out on the kitchen cabinets too. It drives me crazy that she hops on the counter to get there, but I can never seem to stop her. She really is a brat!
my my. you little cook, you.
we make very similar potatoes, but we omit the stock and use straight up cream. clogging our arteries is costing a fortune, but we’re slowly but surely working on it!!
that kitty is BBAADDD. i’m thinkin’ you’re doomed. i can’t believe she could jump up that high.
off to make cupcakes for my daughter. she’s returning from out of town and requested they be done by midnight! if not, who turns into a pumpkin? her? or me?
YUMMY those potatoes look good. And the cat……..lololol!!!!!! That’s hysterical!!
You can’t beat Gruyère with potatoes…yummy…or Gruyère topped French bread soaked in hot French onion soup!!…hmmm feeling hungry all of a sudden! ;o)
Hi Anna,
hmm…it seems you had a great Valentine’s dinner too ;o)…looking at your picture makes me hungry again and I really shouldn’t be for the next weeks!
Our potatoes weren’t as fancy but I loved them anyway : just slice the potatoes, “brush” some olive oil, a handful of fleur de sel & some branches rosemary, let them get brown in the oven…
Poor Paul, maybe he just wanted to be polite and greet everyone, including the little doggy…;o)
Hugs, Julia
oh yum!!!
double yum!!!
i will SO have to try this meal.
okay and the kitty…
“he thinks he’s a cookie jar!”
i about died reading that.
it cracked me up.
:D
Thanks so much for this recipe Anna – those spuds look so delicious – my mouth really is watering.
Cookie jar cat – fabulous. I think I need my eyes testing though as I thought that was a real puppy up there with him. ‘Agile animals in that house!’ I thought. What a dunce. Off to Specsavers for me.
Emma
x
Those potatoes look divine. I would eat them right now and I haven’t even had breakfast yet.
As for Paul, I think he’s up there plotting his next wrestling move. LOL!
Happy travels, Anna~
Cassie
When I saw your Valentine menu, I visited the links and downloaded the recipes but wondered about the Potatoes Savoyarde recipe. I’m so glad you posted that one today as I’m planning to give your entire menu a try soon. Thanks for the warning about the expense involved with the Steak Au Poivre recipe glace.
those potatoes look delicious! what cheese would you suggest substituting for someone who has blown their grocery budget for the month on something like, say, um…a little too much fabric?
Those potatoes sound fabulous! Another one to try. Love the kitty picture – definitely trying to show the dog who’s the boss!
I just printed off that recipe…..YUMMMMMMY!!! I can’t wait to try it. The picture of that sweet kittie, well I was laughing my head off.
The expression is priceless. I am sure we have more fun episodes to follow.
It all sounds so decadent! Travel safe :)
Sounds yummy! But I’m going to worry about my cookie jars climbing on top of cupboards now!!!
Lucy xxx
Oh mommy, those potatoes look good. And I’ve never made this steak business, so I might have to try it. Lord knows you put up some amazing recipes here.
Will you be my Valentine?
Hi Anna,
Your Valentine dinner looks delicious. I have a recipe for Chicken Marsala that uses demi-glace, thanks for the link to find some, it does make gravies taste yummy. Have a safe and fun travel day.
Oh my, Gruyere and potatoes…This looks sooo good! Little kitty is a doll, and your Valentine’s Day pennies are gorgeous! LOVE the crochet. x
Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Clarice
That is the cutest kitty cookie jar I have ever seen! I can see the look on Paul’s face and he didn’t mean to do it. An unseen force levitated him there and he didn’t know what else to do. He needs you to forgive him for being so sixth sensed and stuff.
Okay, this comment is getting wierd, LOL! I was going for funny and it just got wierd.
hey, potatoes are normal…let’s talk about potatoes! Those potatoes look great! :)
Have fun traveling; see you when you get back! :)
Anna, Anna, you do tickle me. Although I’m not a true “cat person,” I enjoy yours very much. I think Paul’s a real cutie. The potato dish looks divine…thanks for sharing good recipes. Have a nice “end of the week.”
Love,
Amy
LOL Oh dear, the proverbial kitty up a tree :)
You just have to love kitties, don’t you. Of course, after you helped her down, she probably acted like she hadn’t needed help, at all. “Hmmph! you humans just don’t understand the superiority of us cats!”
Those potatoes do look wonderful, even though I’m reading this a seven i the morning, I wouldn’t mind having a little bite, just to start my day.
Wow, those potatoes look so good. Actually, I might even make those this weekend. Yum. I can already taste the Gruyere.
These potatoes look divine! And I’m glad kitty’s back!
yum, yum Anna! How in the world did kitty get way up there?? My cat must be a slow learner, he just barely learned he can jump up on the counter in the kitchen (thereby getting swept off his feet back onto the floor!)
Look at that naughty kitty! Guess that will keep you busy!
Wow, that potato dish sounds good!! I love that cheese, so it’s got to be good. I like to use it when I make French onion soup, but it is pretty pricey and so it’s kind of special treat.
That cat cracks me up, it’s amazing the places they can get !
Paul sounds like my “ward”–we are keeping our son’s pup, Jude, and he is equally unmannerly. He doesn’t think he’s a cookie jar. . .just a termite.
Ok what ranks up there with chocolate, caramel and cream cheese – spuds sister – any shape, way or form me likey – lots. I’m putting this in the make soon file – thanks for sharing -yummmmm. Love Paul – looks like he’s going to add a little adventure to the house – keeping track of the cookie jars and all.
Hugs – Mrs. Farmhouse
Well, did the Kitty get down safely?? Haha I am guessing he would!
I made your the French Onion Soup… divine! we all loved it. Now, I am going to use our ‘spud’ recipe!! Sounds delish!!
Bad cat (but cute). I must remember not to show that picture to our furry friends. This is one trick they haven’t tried yet.
You food always looks so yummy, it makes me want to rush out and buy the ingredients.
Paul is having fun. Kitten’s have so much energy and want to explore even nook and cranny. Have fun babysitting.
Mmm…your dinner looks and sounds deeelicious! Thanks for the recipe – Im going to have to try that one.
Looks like you’re going to have fun with kitty! By the way, I think Paul is such a cool name for a cat. I used to work at a park and a little old man used to walk through every day with his little grey dog called Peter :-)
xxx
Oooh, those spuds look good. I frequently cook potatoes like that but without the cheese – but that does sound like I shall have to try it!
Drool.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Puddle.
Slip.
Fall.
Ouch.
Lawsuit.
(Payment my be made in the form of a FedEx’s delivery of Potatoes Savoyarde)
O MY GOODNESS, those spuds look and sound amazing! I’ll have to try that recipe.
Is that one of the Three Little Kittens who lost his mittens and can’t tell where to find them? Perhaps he’s looking everywhere?
Jody
That kitty is so cute! So so cute. These potatoes look great. I’ve never had Gruyere cheese. Hmm. I’ll have to try it sometime.
Yum! I’m trying those potatoes!
And hee hee, I love when animals have human names like Paul. He is too cute.
Yummy tater recipe. It’s going into my “I’m going to be a great cook like Anna” file that I have started.
Paul is a cutie, and I think he IS showing that dog who’s in charge.