Scalloped Potatoes

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Smash the garlic clove with the palm of your hand and remove the skin. Put the garlic in a small saucepan with the cream, milk, bay leaf, rosemary, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer over low heat, then take the saucepan off the heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. The cream mixture will seem strong and overseasoned, but it will eventually season all of the scalloped potatoes, so don’t freak out.

   Step 2

   Meanwhile, cut the pancetta into 1/2-inch cubes. Brown it in a small saucepan over medium heat. You want to caramelize and cook the pancetta slightly, to increase its presence later in the scalloped potatoes. Set aside.

   Step 3

   Peel the potatoes and slice just thicker than paper-thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Submerge them in a bowl of cold water.

   Step 4

   Heat the oven to 350°F. Pull out a 6-inch square baking pan (if you don’t have one, you can buy a disposable one at the grocery).

   Step 5

   Layer the potatoes in the pan like shingles, putting bits of browned pancetta between each layer of potato shingles, until you are out of both potatoes and pancetta. Fish out the herbs and garlic clove from the steeped cream mixture with a slotted or regular spoon, and pour it over the potatoes.

   Step 6

   Bake for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes on top are golden brown and have a milky translucence but have not burned or turned into potato chips.

   Step 7

   Cool and chill the scalloped potatoes in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours, covered with plastic and with a bowl of leftovers weighting them down and keeping every shingle tight and condensed in the pan.

   Step 8

   Use in the volcano once cool. To store for later use, take the weights off, wrap the scalloped potatoes especially well in plastic, and return to the fridge for up to 5 days.