Domino Potatoes

I’m a sucker for anything that involves potatoes: chips, fries, mashed, baked, in soups, as a side, as a main course. (Not stews though, wouldn’t want to mislead you.) So when I saw this blog post by Bon Appétit about domino potatoes and the bloggers who made them, I felt dizzy. Yet another method for baking potatoes? Get out.

Initially I felt a sense of “oh, no, this looks complicated” descend upon me as I read through the recipe. After all, the mandoline I’d bought in July of 2010 had never seen the light of day. I only remembered I owned it because I’d organized my kitchen a few weeks back. But since my dad the engineer was visiting for the afternoon, I figured if I couldn’t make heads or tails of the mandolin, then certainly he could. Which he did, although I also sliced one potato with a knife and you know what? It tasted just as good as those fancy-schmancy mandoline-sliced potatoes.

In theory, the recipe called for inserting a bay leaf between each potato slice. That sounded like medieval torture to me so I instead threw a few sprigs of fresh rosemary into the baking dish and hoped for the best.

Which is exactly what I got: the best potatoes I’ve had in ages. Simplified here for your cooking pleasure.

Domino Potatoes

1 large Idaho potato per person
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6-7 sprigs fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Peel potatoes and trim sides to form a rectangular cube. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes into ¼” slices.
3. Rub a baking dish with a tablespoon or two of butter. Stack the potato slices on their sides, mimicking the shape of the potato. Dollop small pats of butter on each potato. Place rosemary sprigs around the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Adapted from a recipe by Bon Appétit.