Gruyere Potato Galette with Fall Herbs

This delicious potato dish is fun to make and beautiful (in a rustic way) when it comes out of the oven. I’ve made variations on this recipe for years; I first developed it for Fine Cooking magazine and later included it in my book The Fresh and Green Table, and I tend to serve it in the fall with roast meat or chicken and on special occasions. But it also makes a lovely vegetarian supper with a cup of soup and a salad.

I am very fond of chopping hard cheeses like Gruyere and Parmigiano in the food processor (with the chopping blade, not the grating blade), because it produces a coarse, pebble-like texture that makes its presence known. So I’ve called for doing that here, but no worries if you hand-grate your cheese; just start with the same weights I call for (the cup measurement will likely wind up different) and you should have plenty of cheese for your three layers.

I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes here for their medium starch content, but on occasion I have snuck in a few red potatoes when I haven’t had enough gold. Most red-skinned, white-fleshed potatoes are not as starchy and won’t bake together quite as nicely as gold potatoes if you use them exclusively.

You will need a pan with a removable bottom for this. A tart pan is ideal, but a cheesecake pan will also work.

Serves 6 to 8 as a side, 3 to 4 as part of a light supper

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
• 3 ounces Gruyere cheese, coarsely ground in a food processor  (to yield about 7/8 of a cup)
• 2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, coarsely ground in a food processor (to yield about ½ cup)
• 1 ¾ pounds small-to-medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary and thyme 
• Kosher salt

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Brush a 9 (or 9 ½-inch) tart pan (with a removable bottom) or cheesecake pan (with a removable bottom) with about ½ teaspoon of olive oil. Arrange the pan on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

2. Combine the cheeses and then divide the mix of cheeses into three equal portions.

2. Slice the potatoes: A Santoku knife is great to use here if you have one. Otherwise use your sharpest knife that is also easy for you to handle. Trim a very thin slice off one side of each potato and arrange the potatoes cut-side-down. This will help stabilize the potatoes while you slice them. Cut each potato crosswise into very thin slices. The slices do not have to be paper thin and they don’t have to be perfect — just aim for as much consistency as possible.

3. Combine the potato slices, the 3 tablespoons of oil, and most of the herbs in a mixing bowl and toss to coat thoroughly.

4. Cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of potato slices, starting at the outside edge of the pan and overlapping slightly all the way around until the bottom is covered. Sprinkle with a small amount of kosher salt and one third of the cheese.  Arrange another layer of potatoes over that, season again with salt, and sprinkle with 1/3 of each cheese again. (If you are using a tart pan, it will look very full; don’t worry, it will shrink down.) Finish with a final layer of potatoes and cheese. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle the remaining herbs on top. You may have some extra potato slices; just discard them.

5.  Bake the galette until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are tender all the way through (use a paring knife or narrow-tined fork to check), about 50 to 55 minutes.

6. Let the galette cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen it from the sides (if necessary) and carefully remove the outer ring. Slide a thin spatula carefully under the bottom of the galette to release it from the pan base and transfer to a cutting board.

7. Cut into 6 to 8 pieces. Serve warm.