Pommes Maxim

Manton · Jan 18, 2010

Keller says 300.

why · Jan 18, 2010

It's like oatmeal: heat it so the starches come into the porridge. More oatmeal with less liquid makes it thicker (so don't add too much butter and I'd assume the potatoes have enough water). Let the porridge sit out on the counter for a while and it gets a skin on top.

Well, maybe a pudding analogy would be more appropriate for the skin. Either way, it's the same principle.

Use russets.

gdl203 · Jan 19, 2010

I'm no expert but I'd say: no soak, no tossing in butter before overlapping them (just a touch on top) and no convection

foodguy · Jan 19, 2010

it's always hard to trouble-shoot from a distance, and without knowing precisely what it was you didn't like about your result. That said, a couple of things come to mind (most of them already pointed out here). I think you want a waxy rather than starchy potato for this; Yukon falls right in the middle and might be the best choice--the goal is to have them brown and crisp (relatively high sugars) and have them hold together (a certain amount of starch, but mostly a firm texture). Don't slice them too thin (you want the contrast between crisp and tender inside, not just crisp). Allow enough time for the potatoes to cook through and brown (cook to visual indicators, not to a timer). One more thought: if you haven't already, cook these on a jellyroll pan or cookie sheet (you want to get the air circulating right over top, to prevent steaming).

horton · Jan 19, 2010

I've used the Keller method many times and it's worked well. Are you giving them plenty of time to rest?

HORNS · Jan 20, 2010

What if, after they're cooked, you press them to facilitate their adherence? Like, if you are using a baking pan with the silipat, you put a piece of parchment and then another pan on top with some even weight on it while it cools?

ChicagoRon · Jan 21, 2010

Not speaking to this recipe, per se, but Shirley O Corriher suggests for similar recipes that letting the potatoes refrigerate over night before peeling and slicing will convert some of the starch into sugar, which will improve browning in an oven.

foodguy · Jan 21, 2010

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

Not speaking to this recipe, per se, but Shirley O Corriher suggests for similar recipes that letting the potatoes refrigerate over night before peeling and slicing will convert some of the starch into sugar, which will improve browning in an oven.

this is one of the risks when asking food science questions. yes, it will convert starch to sugar, improving browning .... but it will also make potatoes sweet. shirley is really cool and knows a lot, but she does tend to make these kinds of suggestions. in her first book she bastes chicken with corn syrup to improve browning. cooking is a lot more complicated than yes/no answers.

kwilkinson · Jan 21, 2010

Originally Posted by foodguy

this is one of the risks when asking food science questions. yes, it will convert starch to sugar, improving browning .... but it will also make potatoes sweet. shirley is really cool and knows a lot, but she does tend to make these kinds of suggestions. in her first book she bastes chicken with corn syrup to improve browning. cooking is a lot more complicated than yes/no answers.

Not to mention you need the starch from the potatoes in order to hold the circular shape of the maxim together.

foodguy · Jan 21, 2010

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Not to mention you need the starch from the potatoes in order to hold the circular shape of the maxim together.

uh, yeah. besides tasting sh*tty, it won't work.

kwilkinson · Jan 21, 2010

Originally Posted by foodguy

uh, yeah. besides tasting sh*tty, it won't work.

I dunno, I might start basting my chicken in corn syrup.

why · Jan 21, 2010

Sugar would hold, but it's an extra step that only makes it taste worse.

foodguy · Jan 21, 2010

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

I dunno, I might start basting my chicken in corn syrup.

i thought you got conne to do that for you.

Manton · Jan 21, 2010

Originally Posted by foodguy

this is one of the risks when asking food science questions. yes, it will convert starch to sugar, improving browning .... but it will also make potatoes sweet. shirley is really cool and knows a lot, but she does tend to make these kinds of suggestions. in her first book she bastes chicken with corn syrup to improve browning. cooking is a lot more complicated than yes/no answers.

This sounds like the worst thing ever.

In other news, I did another ad hoc recipe tonight--or almost, until I got to the component that takes one month to make.

Still, it was very tasty.

foodguy · Jan 21, 2010

Originally Posted by Manton

This sounds like the worst thing ever.

In other news, I did another ad hoc recipe tonight--or almost, until I got to the component that takes one month to make.

Still, it was very tasty.

AAARGH! that's my main complaint with restaurant recipes in general. they presume you've got a huge mise already to go. when my writer reviewed the ad hoc book, she made a salad that wound up requiring 2 tablespoons or so of a peach puree that took hours to prepare. sure you can use the leftovers for other things, but it does seem out of scale.

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