How to Make Potato Pavé

Summary

This video showcases how to make Potato Pav, a crispy, creamy layered potato dish. The process involves selecting the right type of potato, slicing it uniformly, soaking it to prevent oxidation, and carefully building the layers with clarified butter and salt. After baking, the dish is pressed to ensure it holds together before chilling overnight. Finally, the Pav is fried to golden perfection, offering a crispy exterior with a fluffy interior. The result is a flavorful, multi-textured potato treat that's both visually appealing and delicious, perfect for serving with gourmet toppings like crème fraîche and caviar.

Takeaways

• 😀 Use russet potatoes for the best results due to their high starch and low moisture content, which leads to a crispier texture.
• 🥔 Trim and slice the potatoes evenly to ensure uniform layers when building the Pave.
• 💧 Soak the sliced potatoes in water to prevent oxidation, keeping them from turning brown and ensuring a cleaner final product.
• 🧈 Coat the potato slices with clarified butter and salt to enhance the flavor and prevent premature browning during baking.
• ⏲️ Shingle the potato slices in a loaf pan, overlapping them slightly, to create layers that will bake together into a cohesive structure.
• 🥄 Use a parchment sling in the pan for easy removal of the finished product.
• 🍞 Bake at 300°F for around 2 hours to ensure the potatoes cook thoroughly and the starches gelatinize.
• 🧑‍🍳 Press the baked potato layers with a heavy object, like a second loaf pan and a brick, to set the shape and ensure the layers stick together.
• ❄️ Chill the pressed potato Pav overnight to allow the starches to set, helping it maintain its shape during frying.
• 🔥 Use a blowtorch or oven to gently loosen the Pav from the pan before unmolding it, ensuring a clean removal.
• 🍽️ Portion the chilled Pav into desired sizes and fry at 350°F for crispy exteriors and creamy interiors.
• 🍽️ Serve the fried potato Pav with garnishes like crème fraîche, caviar, and fresh herbs to elevate the dish.

Q & A

Why is using russet potatoes important for making potato pav?

Russet potatoes are ideal because they are high in starch and low in moisture, which helps in achieving the desired crispy texture. High starch content aids in starch gelatinization, leading to a crispier result compared to waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold.

What is the purpose of soaking the sliced potatoes in water?

Soaking the potatoes helps to prevent oxidation, which can cause browning. It also removes excess starch, ensuring that the potatoes will crisp up properly during frying.

Why is clarified butter used instead of regular melted butter?

Clarified butter is used because it removes the milk solids and whey found in regular butter, which would cause premature browning. This helps in achieving a perfect, non-browned crispy texture for the potato pav.

What is the importance of pressing the potato pav after baking?

Pressing the potato pav ensures that the layers stick together, providing firmness and cohesion. Without pressing, the layers would be more likely to separate, leading to a less cohesive and more fragile structure.

How does the weight and chilling process affect the final texture of the potato pav?

Weighing and chilling the potato pav helps set the layers and starches, giving it structure and firmness. Chilling allows the clarified butter to solidify and helps the pav hold its shape, ensuring a clean slice when cut.

What is the role of the blowtorch in unmolding the potato pav?

The blowtorch is used to heat and loosen the sides of the pan, making it easier to remove the potato pav without damaging it. This step is essential for ensuring that the pav comes out cleanly and intact.

Why is it important to dry the sliced potatoes before assembling the pav?

Drying the potatoes removes excess moisture, which could interfere with the starch gelatinization process during baking. Too much moisture could also affect the final crispiness and cooking time.

How does the thickness of the potato slices impact the final dish?

The thickness of the slices (around 8-1 mm) ensures that the layers are even and cook uniformly. If the slices are too thick or too thin, it could affect the texture, with thicker slices potentially being undercooked or too soft.

What is the significance of shingling the potato slices when building the pav?

Shingling the slices ensures an even distribution of layers and allows for slight overlap. This method helps the layers adhere to each other, creating a cohesive, layered structure that will hold together when pressed and fried.

Why is it necessary to use foil to cover the loaf pan during baking?

Covering the loaf pan with foil traps moisture inside, which helps in starch gelatinization and prevents premature browning on the top. It ensures that the potatoes cook evenly and maintain a soft interior before frying.