Perhaps you’ve seen some version of these crispy potato bites, which had a viral moment several years ago. Whether you’ve heard them called Potato Pavé or 15-Hour Potatoes, my version is made with a lot of love – and a little bit of patience.
This recipe requires at least an 8-hour waiting period after the initial bake, but the result is a crispy little potato bite that’s fancy – yet approachable – and is sure to impress your guests this holiday season.
My inspiration for these was to look at my favorite humble potato in a new way. These are sort of like crispy scalloped potato bites, though I opted for a flavored broth base vs. heavy cream.
Before we get too far into it, here are a few tips for recipe success:
- Don’t be too precious with layering your potatoes. In developing this recipe, I realized you didn’t need to have perfectly lined-up slices of potato to result in crispy layers in the end. Just make sure your potato layers are the same depth throughout the dish.
- Precut your cardboard. You’re going to need a piece of cardboard that’s slightly smaller than the size of the baking dish to compress the potatoes. Cut this in advance, especially if you need to measure the top of your dish or loaf pan.
- Let press for up to 48 hours. While I prefer to let the potatoes sit in the refrigerator overnight (about 12 to 14 hours), you can leave these for up to 48 hours before cubing and frying to serve.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup vegetable broth
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 to 3 tablespoons flaky sea salt
- 3 to 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- ½ cup sour cream
- Caviar (optional)
Instructions
Wash potatoes and set aside. If you’re using golden potatoes, there’s no need to peel.
In a small saucepan, add 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Once melted, add in minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.
Use a mandolin on the thinnest setting to slice potatoes. Place them in the bowl with the seasoned butter broth mixture and toss to combine.
Line a 9-inch by 6-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides. You can use butter or cooking spray on the pan before putting in the parchment to help hold it in place.
Start layering the potatoes around the bottom of the dish and continue stacking them in layers, pressing down slightly to ensure even distribution, until all potatoes are layered into the dish. Pour excess butter broth over the top and use the back of a wooden spoon to press down.
Cover with foil and place on the middle rack of preheated oven for 90 minutes. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes, or until slightly cool to the touch.
Remove foil and add a layer of parchment paper to the top of the potatoes. Top with a piece of cardboard that’s been cut to fit snugly into the baking dish/loaf pan. Loosely add the foil back to the top of the cardboard and use heavy cans or a weight to evenly press down. (Note: I use a 10-pound weight from my at-home gym.)
Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours to compress and fully set.
Remove from the refrigerator, discard foil and paper coverings. Turn out onto a cutting board. Carefully slice off any uneven edges to make a perfect rectangle. Cut into 24 perfect cubes.
In a small saucepan, heat 3 to 4 cups vegetable oil or the high-temperature oil of your choice to about 350 degrees F. Once oil is heated, use tongs or a slotted spoon to gently lower in potato cubes. Work in batches to fry the cubes for about 4 minutes each. You can flip halfway through for even cooking. (Note: If the oil doesn’t fully cover your potato cubes, you’ll want to cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side.)
Use tongs to place fried potato cubes on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while still hot. Once all of the potato cubes are fried, arrange them on a platter for serving.
Top with a small dollop of sour cream and sprinkle on fresh-chopped chives. You also can spoon on a little bit of caviar to take these even more over the top. Serve slightly warm to room temperature.
