My entry for Paper Chef #40–Mother’s Day potatoes three ways

As I mentioned in my last post, I was at first excited and then stumped by this month’s Paper Chef ingredients.  You may recall what they were….floury potatoes, prosciutto, thyme, and a theme, Mother’s Day.  Hmmm.  The ingredients work together extremely well; so well, in fact, that Bron (last month’s winner and the  judge of this month’s contest) considered dropping them back in the hat and drawing them again.  In the end she decided to keep them, though, and I’m glad she did.  They gave me a chance to recognize my grandmother, my mother, and the little guy who has given me the wonderful opportunity of being a mother–all on one plate!

So without further ado, my entry for this month’s Paper Chef contest consists of potatoes prepared three different ways.  We have a potato and prosciutto galette, mashed potatoes with thyme butter and prosciutto, and thyme and prosciutto pommes dauphines.

I must say, working with the Mother’s Day theme was the most interesting part.  I would have simply cooked something for my mother….but I was already doing that, already had the whole (pasta-centric) menu planned, and had the ingredients bought.  So I had to get a little more creative.  I was actually about to give up on this month’s contest, when I started thinking about the potatoes I loved as a child.  And two preparations stuck out in my mind….one prepared by my grandmother, and one by my mother.

When I was little and my grandmother still lived in south Georgia (she has since moved in with my family), we would take trips to visit her, and she would always cook a big meal for us.  I remember only some of the things she cooked back then, but the memories are oh so good.  Peach and blackberry cobblers, roasts, perfect grilled cheese sandwiches….and scalloped potatoes.  I have always been a potato girl, and Memom’s scalloped potatoes turned me on to the dish (and its variations) at a very early age.  So here, in tribute to her, is a variation on the theme….a potato and prosciutto galette with a thyme and crumb topping.  I thinly sliced three large potatoes, and layered them alternately with very thin slices of prosciutto, which I had quickly fried beforehand.  I basted each layer of potato slices with extra virgin olive oil and a little white wine vinegar, and seasoned them with salt and pepper.  After brushing down the top layer, I sprinkled over a topping made with fresh whole-grain breadcrumbs, fresh chopped thyme, a little salt and a bit of melted butter, then baked the whole thing at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Next on my potato memory-list are my mom’s mashed potatoes.  She makes a wonderful roast beef, and always manages to extract from it a perfect gravy (something I have not yet been able to consistently master.)  So of course with that gravy, you must have mashed potatoes.  And my mother makes my very favorite mashed potatoes…thick and creamy, fluffy and rich. So my nod to her is our next variation….mashed potatoes made with creme fraiche and prosciutto, and topped with a thyme butter made very simply with sweet butter, chopped fresh thyme, and a dash of salt.

So that covers two of the three generations of mothers in my family, and leaves me, the youngest of the bunch.  My little man is growing up oh so fast….faster than I would like.  But he is growing up with the same love of potatoes I have always had; and his current favorite preparation is pommes dauphine, or “pao-puffs,” as he calls them.  I couldn’t have a potato-themed evening without them.  So I made up a batch of pate choux, mixed it with mashed potatoes, worked in some chopped prosciutto, some chopped fresh thyme and a little dried thyme, shaped my pao-puffs and fried them in canola oil until golden and crispy on the outside.  Little Guy was quite pleased and devoured his happily.

So I suppose that is it.  I can’t wait to see everyone else’s entries for this month; it was an exciting theme and one I thoroughly enjoyed.  And I know this is a day late, but Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers and grandmothers out there.  Thank you for the wonderful job you do.