Potatoes Boulangere

By AshleyRuss

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced pancetta
• 3 small onions, thinly sliced
• (2 cups)
• 3 medium sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Scant 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black
• pepper
• 2 Ib. Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn
• potatoes, peeled and sliced
• into inch-thick half-moons
• 1 cup chicken broth

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

This dish is like a potato gratin
but without the cheese and
cream; the pancetta (Italian
cured bacon) adds rich flavor.
Heat the oven to 375@F. Heat
the olive oil in a medium (9-
inch) Dutch oven over medium
heat. When the oil is hot, add
the pancetta. Saut6 until it just
begins to crisp and turn brown,
about 4 minutes. Add the onions,
thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pep-
per. Cook, stirring occasionally
and more frequently toward the
end, until the onions are a deep
golden color, about 14 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan,
bring the chicken broth to a boil
and then remove from the heat.
Add the potatoes to the onions
and cook, stirring for a minute or
two. Pour the hot broth over the
potatoes and onions and bring
the pot to a boil, stirring with a
wooden spoon to scrape up the
browned bits from the bottom of
the pan.

Cover the pot, put it in the
oven, and bake for about 15
minutes. Uncover the pot, gently
and evenly push the potatoes
down with a spatula, and con-
tinue to bake uncovered until the
potatoes are completely tender
and have started to brown, about
another 25 minutes. Discard
the bay leaf and thyme before
serving.