Downunder Potato Bake
This potato bake I have been cooking for years, coating the potatoes in a bowl of cream and garlic before layering, helps to cook them even and makes it less greasy.
This potato bake I have been cooking for years, coating the potatoes in a bowl of cream and garlic before layering, helps to cook them even and makes it less greasy.
- Carbohydrate 66.7422466687706 g
- Cholesterol 76.7000000379393 mg
- Fat 31.0597666777668 g
- Fiber 8.34446683422724 g
- Protein 22.0401466682187 g
- Saturated Fat 14.5520220069096 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (473g)
- Sodium 741.886000022994 mg
- Sugar 58.3977798345433 g
- Trans Fat 2.55051466723921 g
- Calories 629 calories
Step-by-step
- Place most of the cream and garlic into a mixing bowl
- Slice potatoes and place them into the mixing bowl to coat them in the cream and garlic
- Use a Pyrex (glass), round or rectangle baking dish, place 1 layer of potatoes in baking dish, than add a little of the bacon and ham on top of the first layer, place another layer of potatoes on top of the first, with the bacon and ham and repeat this process.
- Pour the rest of the cream over the potatoes, than spread the cheese over the top
- Place the koala over the chesse, koala may be hard to get, (the little buggers are fiesty).
- Bake for 40 mins @ 200 degrees.
Unlike a traditional gratin that relies on a continuous pour of dairy into the vessel, this preparation coats the potato slices in cream before assembly. Fresh garlic provides a sharper, more pungent allium note than preserved paste, which often contains added citric acid that mutes the flavor. Preserved meats like bacon and deli ham introduce significant sodium, meaning added salt should be omitted entirely until the dish emerges from the oven.
- Slice potatoes uniformly to 1/8-inch thickness using a mandoline to ensure even heat penetration across every layer.
- Toss the slices thoroughly in a bowl with the dairy so that starch is partially hydrated before baking begins.
- Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes, checking for a knife tender interior and bubbling edges.
- Allow the assembled dish to rest for 10 minutes prior to serving to let the dairy proteins set.
Excess moisture is the primary enemy of structural integrity in layered bakes, so patting cured meats dry before layering prevents water logging. Proper starch retention from unrinsed potatoes acts as the natural thickening agent for the remaining cream.
