About this video

• Video Title: The Secret to Perfect Pommes Boulangere with Marco Pierre White | Meet your Maestro | BBC Maestro
• Channel: BBC Maestro
• Speakers: Marco Pierre White
• Duration: 00:12:44

Overview

This video demonstrates how to make Pommes Boulangere with Chef Marco Pierre White. He shares personal anecdotes from his early career and guides viewers through the step-by-step process of preparing this classic potato dish, emphasizing technique, flavor development, and the importance of time in cooking.

Key takeaways

• Early Culinary Influence: Marco Pierre White recalls learning Pommes Boulangere at the Hotel St. George, highlighting its significance in his foundational culinary education.
• Onion Preparation: Frying onions in butter is crucial to remove water and acidity, bringing out their natural sweetness and preparing them for caramelization.
• Potato Layering Technique: Potatoes are thinly sliced, layered like fish scales, and compacted to absorb the stock and other flavors. Seasoning is added after the stock.
• Building Flavor: The dish is constructed in layers of potatoes and onions, with vegetable stock, salt, and white pepper added incrementally. Butter is used generously throughout.
• Cooking Process: The dish is finished with a layer of buttered tin foil and slow-cooked in the oven at 120°C for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, allowing the potatoes to absorb all the flavors.
• Importance of Time: Marco emphasizes that time is the most valuable ingredient in cooking, allowing flavors to meld and ingredients to transform.

Pommes Boulangere with Marco Pierre White

Yields: (Serves implied by a standard dish size, not specified in video) Prep time: (Not specified, but involves slicing potatoes and onions) Cook time: Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Onions
• Butter
• Vegetable stock
• Salt
• White pepper
• Olive oil (for serving, optional)

Equipment:

• Ovenproof dish
• Tin foil

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Onions:

   • Slice onions.
   • Melt butter in a pan.
   • Fry the sliced onions in butter over medium heat. This process removes water and acidity, allowing the onions to sweeten and eventually caramelize. Continue until the water content has evaporated and the onions begin to smell sweet.

2. Prepare the Potatoes:

   • Thinly slice the potatoes.
   • If necessary, drain excess water from the potato shavings.
   • Compact the potato shavings with your hands.

3. Assemble the Dish:

   • Butter an ovenproof dish lightly.
   • Start layering the dish with the prepared potatoes. Aim for a "fish scale" construction, overlapping the potato slices.
   • Add a layer of the pre-cooked onions over the potatoes.
   • Season the layers with salt and white pepper. Note: Season potatoes after adding stock.
   • Add a little vegetable stock to the layers.
   • Continue layering potatoes and onions, seasoning and adding stock as you go, until the dish is filled.
   • Ensure the final layer is potatoes.
   • Add a final touch of vegetable stock.
   • Generously add onions to the top layer.
   • Finish with a little more stock and seasoning.

4. Cook the Dish:

   • Cover the dish tightly with buttered tin foil.
   • Place the dish on the stove over medium heat for a short period to warm the dish and speed up the cooking process.
   • Transfer the dish to a preheated oven at 120°C (250°F).
   • Cook for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.

5. Rest and Serve:

   • Once cooked, remove the dish from the oven.
   • Allow the Pommes Boulangere to rest for a few minutes. This allows the potatoes to absorb the remaining butter and stock, becoming "intoxicated" with flavor.
   • Serve, perhaps with a final sprinkle of crystal salt.
   • Optional: Serve with a splash of olive oil and a side salad for a lighter meal.