Here’s a simple recipe that’s quick to prepare, but then takes a while in the oven, leaving you ample time to figure out your other dishes. It’s rare that I eat a potato product and don’t want either ketchup or gravy, but this can hold its own without any sort of sauce.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 pounds russet potatoes
• 4 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
• 8 sprigs thyme

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl or cup, stir together the butter and oil. Brush the bottom of a 9″ baking dish with a bit of the butter mixture. A pie dish with straight sides or anything with higher sides will do fine. Realistically, it doesn’t even have to be round, just roughly that size.

With a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice the potatoes very thinly crosswise. Place the potato slices vertically in the dish.

Wedge the shallot slices in between the potato bits, then sprinkle the salt and pepper flakes over the dish. Brush or drizzle the remaining butter mixture over the potatoes. Bake 1 1/4 hours, then add the thyme. I imagine it makes sense to strip most of the leaves off the stems of the thyme, and just sprinkle them over the potatoes, but I just threw them on there whole and they still added delightfully. Bake a further 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and have a crisp top. Serve still hot.

The crispy bits that you have to work a tiny bit to get off the dish are the best. Crispy potatoes are deeeelightful. There weren’t any leftovers, so I can’t tell you how they are the next day!

Crispy Potato Bake

From Fish Food.

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 pounds russet potatoes
• 4 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
• 8 sprigs thyme

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl or cup, stir together the butter and oil. Brush the bottom of a 9″ baking dish with a bit of the butter mixture.

With a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice the potatoes very thinly crosswise. Place the potato slices vertically in the prepared dish. Wedge the shallot slices in between the potato bits, then sprinkle the salt and pepper flakes over the dish. Brush or drizzle the remaining butter mixture over the potatoes.

Bake 1 1/4 hours, then add the thyme. Return to the oven for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and have a crisp top.