Scalloped Potatoes
Serves 8
Our grandmothers would have scoffed at the idea of a fancy recipe for scalloped potatoes. Potatoes, onions, and milk were always on hand, and everyone would've simply sliced up enough ingredients to fit the pan they owned. Herbs? Not if they had to buy them. Foil to cover? No need to waste it. Flour thickens the layers here and it's not necessary to heat the milk. Anyway, who needs to wash an extra pan? Simpler really can be better.
Butter (for the dish)
6 large russet potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
½ onion finely chopped
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 teaspoons flour
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small dice
3 cups milk or cream or a combination of both
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (3½-quart capacity). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. It should fit under the dish.
2. In the baking dish, add one-third of the potatoes and half the onion, with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Sift 2 teaspoons of the flour over the potatoes and scatter 1 tablespoon of the butter on top. Repeat with another layer. End with a top layer of potatoes arranged in a pattern of overlapping rounds. Dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Pour the milk or cream over the potatoes and sprinkle the top with salt and pepper.
3. Set the dish on the baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 1½ hours, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife and the top is browned. If the top is not browning, turn the oven temperature up to 400 degrees for the last 10 minutes.
4. Let the dish sit in a warm place for 10 minutes before serving.