March 24, 2026
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Potatoes never disappoint, do they? It doesn’t matter what you do with them, there’s something about them that’s just moreish. And this pommes Anna recipe is a refined version of that humble vegetable.
The fine layering turns it into the best potato cake you’ve ever had! It has something in common with a gratin Dauphinois, but pommes Anna uses only French butter to make it so tender, no cream nor cheese are added to this recipe. You need a bit of time and focus for this one, so take a Sunday afternoon over it, and I promise you’ll be rewarded.
Table of Contents
Where pommes anna comes from
Pommes Anna was created in Paris around 1870 at the Café Anglais, the most fashionable restaurant in the city during the Second Empire. The chef was Adolphe Dugléré, a protégé of the great Antoine Carême and one of the star chefs of his day.
It’s named after Anna Deslions, a celebrated grande cocotte, a high-society courtesan, who was a regular at the Café Anglais and entertained dignitaries in a private salon above the dining room. Dugléré named the dish in her honour. There’s a little dispute over which Anna, some sources point to the actress Anna Judic instead, but Deslions is the name most often attached to it. Either way, the dish became a French classic almost immediately, which tells you how good it is!
This is cooking that looks impressive but relies on very unexpensive ingredients. You take two of the most basic things in a French kitchen and turn them into something indulgent and very elegant.
Ingredients
- Waxy or firm potatoes – They hold their shape and their slices stay intact, which is what lets the cake hold together. Floury potatoes fall apart.
- Butter – Not a supporting player here, it’s half the dish. It crisps the outside and keeps the inside tender. Clarified butter browns best (it won’t burn), but good French butter is the point. Be generous; 150g is not a typo.
- Salt and pepper – Seasoned between the layers, so every slice is seasoned, not just the top.
- Thyme – Optional, and not traditional, but a little between the layers is lovely if you fancy it.
How to make pommes anna
1. Slice the potatoes
Peel and slice the potatoes as thinly as you can, ideally on a mandoline, aiming for even 2 to 3mm slices. Uniform thickness is genuinely crucial, since uneven slices cook unevenly and the cake won’t hold together. Don’t rinse them as the surface starch is what helps the layers stick. Pat them dry if they’re wet, though, since water stops them crisping up.
2. Layer in butter
Brush a cast iron skillet generously with melted butter, base and sides. Arrange the potato slices in overlapping circles, starting from the centre and working out, since this bottom layer becomes the golden top when you flip it, so make it neat. Brush each layer with butter and season lightly, pressing down firmly as you go so there are no air pockets. Keep going until the potatoes are used up.
3. Cook, hob then oven
Start it on the hob over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until you hear it sizzling and the base is turning golden. Don’t move it around. Then transfer to a hot oven and bake until the potatoes are completely tender through the middle, pressing down with a spatula a couple of times during cooking to keep compressing the layers into one cake.
4. Flip and serve
Let it rest a couple of minutes, run a knife around the edge, then the big moment: place a plate over the pan, flip it confidently in one motion, and lift the pan away. The golden, crisp side is now on top. If a few bits stick, just scrape them back on, no one will know! Cut into wedges and serve straight away, while it’s crisp.
Tools for this recipe
Check out my favorite kitchen essentials and cookware!
- Use a mandoline to slice the potatoes evenly and paper-thin (use the guard, please).
- Use a cast iron skillet that goes from hob to oven and gives an even, golden crust.
- I use my natural bristle pastry brush to butter the pan and each layer generously.
Tips for success
- Slice paper-thin and even: even 2 to 3mm slices meld into one cake; uneven ones cook unevenly and fall apart.
- Don’t rinse the slices: unlike roast potatoes, you want the surface starch, it’s the glue that holds the layers together. Just pat off any surface wetness so they still crisp.
- Be generous with the butter: it crisps the outside and keeps the inside tender. 150g sounds a lot, but really it isn’t for this.
- Press down as you layer and cook: firm pressure removes air pockets and compresses the slices into a single cake that holds together for the flip. Press between layers and again in the oven.
- Flip with confidence: a plate over the pan, one decisive motion, and lift the pan away. Hesitate and it can break. And if it does stick a little, just patch it up, it’ll taste exactly the same.
How to store it
- Pommes Anna is at its absolute best straight from the pan, when the crust is crisp. It softens as it sits, so it’s really a serve-immediately dish. But leftovers are still lovely.
- Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. The best way to reheat it is in a hot oven or a dry pan, which crisps the outside back up, rather than the microwave, which leaves it soft. A cold wedge is also surprisingly good, a bit like a potato terrine.
- You can get ahead by slicing and layering it a few hours before cooking, keep it covered (the slices under butter won’t brown much), and bring it to room temperature before it goes on the heat. I wouldn’t freeze it, the texture suffers.
More potato recipes to try
Variations
- Add garlic: a little grated or sliced garlic tucked between the layers, or garlic-infused butter brushed on, for a gratin-like note.
- Pommes Anna with cheese: a little grated Gruyère or Comté between some of the layers takes it towards a gratin. Not classic, but also very tasty.
- Individual pommes Anna: layer the slices in muffin tins for pretty individual portions, a smart dinner-party version, with even more crisp edges.
FAQ
What is pommes Anna?
Pommes Anna is a classic French dish of thinly sliced potatoes layered with butter and baked until it forms a golden, crisp-outside, tender-inside cake. It’s just potatoes, butter and seasoning, and it’s named after a Parisian courtesan, Anna Deslions, from the 1870s. It’s traditionally served as an elegant side dish.
What potatoes are best for pommes Anna?
Waxy or firm potatoes, which hold their shape and keep their slices intact so the cake holds together. Floury potatoes tend to fall apart. Slice them paper-thin and evenly, ideally on a mandoline, for the best result.
Why is my pommes Anna falling apart?
Usually the slices were uneven or too thick, or it wasn’t pressed down and compressed enough. Slice paper-thin and even, don’t rinse the slices (you want the starch to bind them), press firmly between layers and during cooking, and let it rest a couple of minutes before flipping.
Can I make pommes Anna ahead of time?
You can slice and layer it a few hours ahead, keep it covered and bring it to room temperature before cooking. Once cooked it’s best served straight away, while crisp, but leftovers keep 3 days and reheat well in a hot oven or dry pan. Don’t freeze it.
Do I need a special pan for pommes Anna?
Traditionally there’s a special two-handled copper pommes Anna pan, but you don’t need one. A good cast iron skillet works brilliantly, going from hob to oven and giving an even, golden crust. An ovenproof non-stick pan works too, though the crust won’t be quite as good.
Prep Time 20 minutes 
Cook Time 50 minutes 
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes 
Servings 4Description
Ingredients
- 1 kg waxy firm potatoes
- 150 gr unsalted butter
- thyme optional
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
1. Prep the potatoes
- Peel and slice the potatoes as thinly as possible, about 2 to 3mm, ideally on a mandoline. Uniform thickness is crucial. Pat the slices dry with kitchen paper (but don't rinse, the starch helps them bind).
2. Season
- Season the slices generously with salt and pepper.
3. Butter the pan
- Brush the skillet generously with melted butter, base and sides, then pour a thin layer of butter into the bottom.
4. Layer
- Arrange the slices in overlapping circles from the centre out (this becomes the top when flipped, so make it neat). Brush each layer with butter, season lightly, and press down firmly. Keep layering until all the potatoes are used.
5. Start on the hob
- Cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until sizzling and the base is turning golden. Don't move it around.
6. Finish in the oven
- Transfer to a preheated oven at 200°C (180°C fan) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, pressing down with a spatula a couple of times, until completely tender through the centre.
7. Flip
- Rest for 2 to 3 minutes, run a knife around the edge, place a plate over the pan, and flip confidently. Lift the pan away, golden side up. Patch any stuck bits back on.
8. Serve
- Cut into wedges and serve immediately, while crisp.
Notes
- Waxy potatoes hold their shape; floury ones fall apart.
- Mandoline safety: use the guard, always. Don’t rinse the slices, the surface starch binds the layers.
- Butter quantity: 150g is right; this isn’t a light dish.
- Make ahead: layer a few hours ahead, keep covered, bring to room temperature before cooking.
- Pan: a cast iron skillet works as well as a traditional copper pommes Anna pan.
Share your feedback and spread the love!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a ★★★★★ rating and your thoughts in the comments, it helps fellow French foodies discover this recipe too. Snap a photo and tag @obviously.french on Instagram. Come talk about it in our Facebook group. And don’t forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you’ll always have it handy for your next French-inspired meal!
