Italian Potato Cake
Slowly cooked thinly sliced potatoes seasoned with EVOO infused with garlic and pepper is a sensational dish to serve with sausages and roasted kale.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
- 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Fresno chili pepper or cherry chili pepper, halved
- 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/8-inch thick
- Sea salt
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 2 pounds fresh spicy lamb, pork or chicken sausages
- 1 large or 2 small bundles Tuscan kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped into large chunks
- Freshly ground pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
In a small pot, heat the EVOO with the garlic and chili pepper for 2-3 minutes over medium heat to infuse the EVOO.
Place the potatoes in a bowl and season with sea salt. Discard the garlic cloves and chili pepper and add the EVOO to the potatoes along with the rosemary, fennel seed and cheese. Toss to coat evenly.
Arrange the potatoes in a layered pattern beginning at the center of a 10-inch skillet, moving outward and up the sides. Gently pile in the remaining potatoes and press them down. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes to get the bottom layer of potatoes and the pan itself nice and hot. Cover the potatoes with parchment paper and set a pie plate on top. Fill with beans or pie weights, transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, then return to the oven. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are deep golden on top. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Place a plate over top of the pan, flip and unmold.
Cut the potato cake in wedges and serve alongside sausages and roasted kale.
