Pan Haggerty
A traditional English dish, pan haggerty is essentially thinly sliced potato and onion, layered with cheese in a skillet, cooked on the stove-top over low heat and given a bubbling brown finish under the broiler. Some variations also include bacon or canned corned beef. This quick, easy to make dish is rich, filling and delicious -- it's crunchy and golden on the bottom, soft and gooey in the middle, cheesy and bubbling on the top. Leftovers will keep for a couple of days in the fridge and are great cold or reheated. I like them, at room temperature, with a simple green salad and a sharp vinaigrette.
A traditional English dish, pan haggerty is essentially thinly sliced potato and onion, layered with cheese in a skillet, cooked on the stove-top over low heat and given a bubbling brown finish under the broiler. Some variations also include bacon or canned corned beef. This quick, easy to make dish is rich, filling and delicious -- it's crunchy and golden on the bottom, soft and gooey in the middle, cheesy and bubbling on the top. Leftovers will keep for a couple of days in the fridge and are great cold or reheated. I like them, at room temperature, with a simple green salad and a sharp vinaigrette.
- Carbohydrate 32.42878625 g
- Cholesterol 46.9090625 mg
- Fat 17.237130625 g
- Fiber 3.95350001394749 g
- Protein 10.705846875 g
- Saturated Fat 10.2784195 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (317g)
- Sodium 295.9665 mg
- Sugar 28.4752862360525 g
- Trans Fat 1.154665625 g
- Calories 321 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet on the stove top over medium heat.
- Add butter and oil or bacon drippings.
- Once melted, swirl to combine, then remove skillet from heat and begin layering potatoes, onions and cheese into skillet, starting with potatoes and ending with cheese.
- Season each layer of potato and onion with a bit of salt and black pepper.
- Return skillet to burner, cover with lid, and reduce heat to medium low.
- Cook, covered, until potatoes and onions are crispy tender when tested with the tip of a sharp knife, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Preheat broiler about 5 minutes before end of cooking time.
- Uncover skillet and sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired.
- Transfer skillet to broiler, and cook until top is nicely browned and bubbly.
- Remove from broiler and let sit for a few minutes before serving from the skillet.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
Covering the skillet during the initial twenty-five to thirty-minute low-heat phase traps steam released by the cell walls of the potatoes and onions, softening their interior structures before any browning occurs on the bottom. Without this covered steam stage, the starch granules inside the Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes will remain hard and chalky while the exterior fat burns. Achieving the dual textures of a crisp, rendered crust and a tender, cohesive interior relies entirely on this careful transition from covered braising to direct dry heat under the broiler.
The Chemistry of Starch, Fat, and Cheese
Melting cheese over thinly sliced root vegetables introduces dairy proteins and fats that bind the starchy layers together as moisture evaporates. Yukon Golds contain moderate starch levels that hold shape under prolonged heat, whereas Russets break down faster and absorb more rendering fat from the butter and oil combination. Selecting a sharp Cheddar or Lancashire cheese introduces lactic acid and varying fat percentages; aged cheeses melt into an oily separation if subjected to excessive direct heat too early, which is why the final browning step under the broiler must last only a few minutes until bubbling occurs.
- Using bacon drippings instead of vegetable oil alters the smoke point and introduces cured pork proteins, requiring reduced added salt.
- Leaving the skillet uncovered during the stovetop phase allows excess water to pool rather than escape, resulting in soggy potatoes.
- Resting the cooked skillet for five minutes off the heat allows the internal starches to set, ensuring clean wedges rather than a collapsed mass.
