Day Before Baking

• Remove from refrigeration and allow to come to room temperature
• Rinse and scrub each russet potato you are baking under cold running water. Do not soak and do not use hot water. Dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Right Before Baking:

• Look the cleaned potatoes over and pare away any bruises or discolored spots
• Pierce each potato deeply with a fork 2 – 3 times per side to allow steam to escape.
• Rub with oil and kosher salt
• Place on sheet pan with space inbetween (or directly on the rack!)
• Bake in 400*F conventional oven or 375*F convection oven for approximately 60 minutes or until 210*F on probe thermometer. Jumbo potatoes will take longer.
• Halfway through cooking, turn the potatoes so they roast evenly.
• Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

• Wash potatoes. Cut into batonnets, either with or without peel.
• Cover potatoes with water. Allow them to soak at room temperature 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
• Blanch potatoes until tender in well-salted, simmering water (190 – 205*F)
• Gently remove from simmering water. Drain potatoes VERY well. Pat dry with paper towels before frying.
• Heat oil in a heavy pot to 325*F. In 3 or 4 batches, gently lower potatoes into oil and cook until they form a crust – about 5 minutes.
• Remove and drain.
• Raise oil temperature to 400*F. In 3 or 4 batches, lower potatoes into oil and cook the potatoes until GBD.
• Remove, drain well, and season with fine-grained salt while very hot.

• Peel several white potatoes (or your favorite potato for mashing) and cut them into equally sized pieces. The pieces should each be about 1-inch cubed. Cook them in simmering water for about 15 minutes or until they are soft enough to break up when pressed with a fork. Drain the potatoes. Return them to the empty cooking pot and return to low heat to evaporate away any surface moisture.
• Fill the basket with a FEW pieces of potatoes.
• Hold the ricer over the empty pot or a bowl and squeeze the handles of the ricer together smoothly and slowly until the potato begins extruding through the holes. Continue refilling and pressing the potatoes, working quickly before the potatoes get cold. DO NOT overfill the basket of the ricer or the potatoes will ooze out the sides.
• When all the potatoes have been processed through the ricer, add the desired ingredients to your potatoes, such as butter, sour cream, warm milk, salt, pepper, or nutmeg. Fold to combine. If necessary, place the pot back on the stove and turn the heat on low to re-warm the potatoes before serving.
• Clean, or at least rinse, the ricer immediately after using it so that the starchy potato residue won’t dry on the tool, making it difficult to clean later.

• Place potatoes into a 4-quart saucepan and cover with cold water by at least 1-inch. Cover, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the lid, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes can easily be crushed with a pair of tongs, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Put the cream, butter, salt and pepper into the empty 4-quart saucepan and place back over the heat until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and set a food mill fitted with the smallest die, on top of the pot. Add 1 cup of potatoes at a time to the mill. Once all of the potatoes have passed through the mill, stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately.

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place sliced potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a low boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, then drain and set aside.
• Heat a large ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat. Pour in olive oil, then add onions. Saute until lightly caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and saute until onions are deep brown and garlic is soft. Transfer mixture to a bowl.
• Place pan back on stove over low heat. Melt butter, then cover bottom of pan with 1/3 of potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover potatoes with 1/2 of onion mixture. Cover with 1/2 of remaining potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Spread with the rest of onion mixture. Cover with remaining potatoes, and season with more salt and pepper.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and browned on top. Remove from oven and use a spatula to carefully transfer potatoes to a serving platter. Sprinkle with chopped parsley just before serving.

• Boil the potatoes: Place potatoes in a medium to large pot and cover with a couple inches of cold water. Add a couple teaspoons of salt to the water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20-25 minutes.
• Melt butter, preheat oven: While the potatoes are simmering, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and reserve for coating the potatoes right before they go in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Drain potatoes and let them release steam: When the potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander and put the potatoes back in the pot set over low heat. Allow them to release steam for a minute or so.
• Add butter, nutmeg, black pepper,salt, and heavy cream to microwave-safe container and microwave till butter is melted and cream is hot. Reserve.
• Mash the potatoes until only a few lumps remain. Add cream/butter mixture. Continue mashing until smooth. Temper in egg yolks. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Using a piping bag with a large star point, pipe the potatoes onto a cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter.
• Bake in 425°F oven until nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

• Preheat oven to 400*F. Butter a baking dish.
• Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make bechamel

• In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. whisk in flour and cook till a blond roux is formed. Stir in milk. Cook until sauce has thickened. Add additional milk if necessary to bring bechamel to the desired consistency. Remove from heat and stir in cheese till melted, one handful at a time. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil
• Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven. Remove cover during last 15 minutes of cooking to promote browning.

Prep Potatoes

• Shred 2 russet potatoes (either peeled or unpeeled) with a cheese grater and place shredded potatoes into a bowl of cold water.
• Stir potato shreds around in the water to loosen the starch. Drain the starchy water, refill the bowl with more cold water and repeat stirring and draining the potatoes until the water runs clear.
• Drain as much water off of the potatoes as you can, squeezing them between several layers of cheesecloth.

AS PATTIES

• Heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a non-stick saute pan or griddle over medium-high heat.
• Combine ½ medium onion, finely chopped,  ¼ cup all-purpose flour, and 1 egg to shredded potatoes until evenly distributed. Form into patties about 1/2 inch thick.
• Season with salt and pepper and cook without disturbing for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
• Flip the hashbrowns and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from heat, season with additional salt, and serve.

FREEFORM

• Heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a non-stick saute pan or griddle over medium-high heat.
• Transfer dried potatoes into the hot pan and spread into an even layer. Season with salt and pepper and cook without disturbing for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
• Use a spatula to flip the potatoes in several sections to cook the other side. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from heat, season with additional salt, and serve.

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, shock in cold water, and reserve.
• Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 12 minutes. Remove eggs from hot water; shock in ice water. Peel, then chop into small, bite-sized pieces.
• IF USING BACON: Place bacon on parchment paper-lined sheet pans and bake in 350* F preheated oven until crispy, about 20-30 minutes. Drain well and chop.
• Chop cooled potatoes, leaving skin on. Add potatoes, eggs, bacon, onion, and celery to a large bowl. Gently stir in mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving. Garnish with dill.

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare baking dish with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter.
• Peel 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, remove any blemishes, slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds, and place into a large pot with enough milk to barely cover. Add the minced garlic, salt, and 2 dried bay leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring often, until the potatoes are fork tender but still slightly firm, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes into a bowl, taking care not to break apart the pieces.
• Discard all but 1 cup of milk. Add heavy cream, crème fraiche (or sour cream), pepper, and nutmeg to pan and bring to a bare simmer. Taste and adjust salt.

Assembly

• Pour a just enough sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to cover the bottom. Arrange cooked potatoes in an even layer. Top with half of the grated cheese. Arrange the remaining potatoes on top of cheese in an even layer. Pour about cream mixture over the potatoes, stopping just below the top. (You may not use all of the cream mixture.) Top with the remaining cheese.
• Bake until the potatoes are golden brown and easily pierced with a knife all the way to the bottom of the baking dish, 40 to 45 minutes. Garnish with 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves and let cool at least 15 minutes on a wire rack before serving.