Pommes Anna (Potatoes Anna)

Trust the French to come up with a potato cake that is alluringly crisp on the outside and meltingly tender on the inside. Called Pommes Anna, this dish was created during Napoleon III's era and named after one of the lovely women at court. Traditionally made with enough butter to float the Normandie, we've made it with much less, which nonetheless produces a dish so rich and delicious, there's never a crumb left. Slice the potatoes by hand, by mandoline, or in a food processor.