Julia Child’s 2-Ingredient Potatoes Are Shockingly Delicious

Julia Child had a chef’s magic touch, transforming the simplest ingredients into culinary masterpieces. Pommes Anna proves it: just potatoes and butter, yet the result is a golden, crispy potato cake that could rival any French bistro’s finest.

The real secret isn’t a long ingredient list; it’s in every slice, every layer, every buttery brush of technique. Channel your inner chef, master her method, and turn humble potatoes into a show-stopping dish that will impress anyone at your table.

Once you taste it, ordinary potatoes will never feel ordinary again.

1. Choose the Right Potato: Yukon Gold Is Your Best Friend

Not all potatoes are created equal, and Pommes Anna will prove that fast. Yukon Golds are the MVP here — their waxy, firm flesh holds its shape beautifully under heat instead of turning mushy.

Their naturally buttery flavor also gives the dish an extra richness before you even add a single pat of butter. Starchy types like Russets tend to fall apart during cooking, so skip those.

Stick with Yukon Gold and you’re already halfway to potato perfection.

2. Slice Thin and Uniform — A Mandoline Is Your Secret Weapon

Here’s a fun challenge: try slicing potatoes to exactly 1/8 inch thick by hand. Spoiler alert: it’s really hard.

A mandoline slicer makes this step almost effortless and ensures every slice is identical.

Uniform thickness matters because thick and thin slices cook at totally different speeds, leaving you with some raw and some overdone. Even slices mean even browning, even tenderness, and a potato cake that holds together like a champ when you flip it.

3. Clarified Butter Is the Real MVP of This Whole Dish

Regular butter is wonderful, but it burns around 300°F, which is a problem when you need serious heat to crisp up those potato layers. Clarified butter, with the milk solids removed, can handle temperatures up to 450°F without smoking or scorching.

That means you get deep golden browning without any bitter, burnt taste. Making clarified butter is simple: melt butter slowly, skim the foam, and pour off the clear golden liquid.

That liquid is your ticket to crispy potato magic.

4. Layering Like a Pro: The Art of Building Your Potato Cake

Think of this step like building a beautiful edible mosaic. Start at the outer edge of your skillet and overlap each potato slice slightly, working inward in a circular pattern until the pan is fully covered.

Brush each layer generously with clarified butter and season lightly with salt and pepper before adding the next layer. This isn’t just pretty; tight, overlapping layers fuse together during cooking, creating that iconic dense, sliceable potato cake Julia Child was so proud of.

5. Weigh It Down: The Trick That Changes Everything

Placing a weight on top of your potato layers while they bake might sound strange, but it’s one of the most important steps in the whole recipe. The pressure forces the layers to bond tightly together, squeezing out excess moisture and encouraging even browning from top to bottom.

A heavy lid, another cast iron pan, or even a foil-wrapped brick works perfectly. Without this step, layers can shift and separate, and nobody wants a potato cake that falls apart at the big reveal.

6. The Confident Flip: Don’t Hesitate, Just Go for It

Julia Child herself said confidence is the most important ingredient in any kitchen, and nowhere is that truer than the Pommes Anna flip. After baking, you place a large plate over the skillet, take a deep breath, and invert the whole thing in one swift, decisive motion.

Hesitation leads to disaster. A quick, committed flip keeps everything intact and reveals that gorgeous, caramelized bottom crust as the showstopping top.

Practice the motion mentally before you do it, then commit completely.

7. Flavor Upgrades: When Two Ingredients Just Aren’t Enough Fun

Once you’ve mastered the classic two-ingredient version, the world of flavor add-ins opens right up. Fresh thyme or rosemary tucked between layers adds a fragrant herbal note that pairs beautifully with the buttery potatoes.

Feeling indulgent? A sprinkle of grated Gruyere cheese between layers creates a melty, savory richness that takes things to a whole new level.

Pommes Anna is also incredibly versatile as a side dish: it pairs brilliantly with roasted chicken, beef tenderloin, or even a simple green salad.