Ah, spuds. Potatoes. Those super versatile, no one is ever the same, full of carbs, but still ever so delicious bundles of goodness. I seem to have s number of different kind in my pantry and fridge right now, so I thought I would do a small series on their versatility. First up: a new version of the baked potato called a Shingled Potato Bake. Simple (just peel, cut, oil and bake) and yummy. Best done with starchy potatoes like Idaho / Russets. Great to accompany a roast on a Sunday.
Ingredients
8 pounds large starchy potatoes (Russets), peeled
Olive oil
2-3 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Handful of fresh thyme sprigs
It helps to have a mandolin for cutting the potatoes, but if you have good knife skills, you can just cut them very thin.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Peel the potatoes and trim the edges of each potato to make large rectangles. Slice thinly on a mandolin (or with a knife, or even with a food processor). Put potato slices in a large bowl and pour a load of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, sea salt and thyme over them and mix well together. It’s easiest to use your hands.
Working in batches, arrange the potatoes upright from one side to the other in a small baking tray (mine was 5 inches by 8 inches). I like to use different potato sizes to give the shingled effect. It’s ok if they stick up above the rim of your baking tray somewhat (an inch or a bit more is ok.) Sprinkle on a bit more sea salt once you have all the potatoes standing upright.
Roast for 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender, golden and crisp. Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.
