Scalloped Potatoes (Spanish Patatas Panaderas)

Patatas panaderas, a simple yet luxurious dish of thinly sliced potatoes accented with onions and garlic and baked in white wine and plenty of olive oil, is little known outside of Spain, but it deserves a place among the iconic potato dishes of Europe. In our version, we covered the potatoes with a tight foil lid so that the potatoes could soften. We withheld the wine for the first 40 minutes of cooking to prevent its acid from interfering with the softening of the potatoes. Loosening the foil for the last 20 minutes allowed excess moisture to evaporate while keeping the potatoes moist, blond, and tender throughout. These potatoes make an excellent accompaniment to roasted fish or pork.

2½ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced crosswise ¼" thick
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine

For the best results, be sure to use a fresh, high-quality extra-virgin olive oil here. To make peeling and slicing easier, choose larger potatoes.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

Stir potatoes and oil in a large bowl until potatoes are evenly coated. Stir in salt and pepper until well distributed. Stir in onion and garlic. Transfer potato mixture to 13x9" baking dish and spread into even layer. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until potatoes can be easily pierced with tip of paring knife, about 40 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Carefully remove foil and set aside. Pour wine evenly over potatoes. Lightly place reserved foil on top of dish, leaving sides open so moisture can escape, and return dish to oven.

Bake until wine has evaporated or been absorbed (there will still be some oil bubbling around edges of dish), about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Makes 6 servings.