what is pave in cooking

This may be a hot take, but I think it’s perfectly fine to skip the Thanksgiving roast, as long as there are potatoes on the table. Mashed, roasted, sauteed, or fried; it’s simply not a harvest feast without some form of spuds. In fact, go ahead and invite more than one to the party. There’s always room for another starchy side.

“Pavé” is a French culinary term used to described flat rectangular shaped foods. Bake this layered potato dish in a rectangular dish, then weigh the potatoes down to get that flat pavé look.
what is pave in cooking

Some call them “thousand layer potatoes” or “15 hour potatoes” thanks to TikTok, but their roots go much deeper than that. Similar to hasselback, accordion, and tornado potatoes with their endless crispy layers, potato pavé have been around for centuries. These golden bricks of pressed, creamy potato, take their name from the French word for cobblestone. Historically reserved for the tables of fine dining establishments, their time-consuming preparation is too demanding for any old weeknight dinner, but well within reach for a special occasion.

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To create this masterpiece, you’ll layer these paper-thin potato slices in a meticulous mosaic, infusing each crevice with rich coconut milk and sriracha-spiked bee-free honey. The whole assembly is baked, then weighted down to compress and bind the strata into compact tiers, still delicate but stable enough to slice. Traditionally, it’s then fried or seared in hot oil, but I prefer the ease of the air fryer, browning the edges to a crispy, grease-free finish.

Naturally, potato pave would be right at home with the other side dishes, but they could also be served as a starter before the main meal. Include a garlicky aioli for dipping and think of them as bundles of crispy French fries! For a more elegant serving, use them as a separate first course, surrounded by a pool of chestnut puree, gravy, or herbed vegan butter.

This may be a hot take, but I think it’s perfectly fine to skip the Thanksgiving roast, as long as there are potatoes on the table. Mashed, roasted, sauteed, or fried; it’s simply not a harvest feast without some form of spuds. In fact, go ahead and invite more than one to the party. There’s always room for another starchy side.

Transfer potatoes to a serving platter and arrange browned side up. Place a small piece of butter on each and sprinkle with chives. Serve.

To serve, run an offset spatula between the parchment paper and pan to release. Using the parchment paper overhang, carefully lift pave out of pan or invert onto a cutting board. Trim sides of pave and cut into 12 equal pieces; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

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Bake until potatoes are completely tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 1 hour and 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Place another loaf pan on top of the aluminum covered potatoes. Add some weights(such as a couple of cans) Let potatoes cool to room temperature. Remove weights and tightly wrap pan. Refrigerate potatoes at least 6 hours or up to 2 days.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add enough canola oil to coat. When oil is hot, add potatoes, cut-side-down, along with thyme and garlic. Cook, basting with oil, until browned on first side. Carefully turn and brown on opposite side.

Potato Pavé Video Recipe Cook’n feel

FAQ

What is a pavé in cooking terms?

The term “pavé”, from French, actually means cobblestone. In cooking it is most often used to refer to a square or rectangular-shaped serving of food. In desserts it refers to a rectangular-shaped, frosted and layered sponge cake dessert filled with sweet ingredients such as buttercream and coated with a frosting.

What is pavé made of?

Pavé is a traditional dessert in Brazil. It is made with layers of cream or custard and digestive biscuits soaked in brandy. You can add additional layers of fruit, chocolate, or coconut to make it extra special.

What is the difference between potato pavé and dauphinoise?

Potatoes dauphinoise is made with thicker slices of potatoes arranged in a shallower baking dish and has a larger proportion of liquid to the potatoes. Potato pavé uses very thin slices of potato and layers them in a precise manner in a loaf pan so the dish is taller and the slices almost melt into one another.

What are the best potatoes to use when baking?

The ideal potato for baking is low in moisture with a high starch content. These qualities allow a potato to bake up with a delightfully fluffy center and crispy skin. Because it has all of these features, Russet potatoes are the ideal potato for baking and the most commonly used choice.

What does pavé mean in French?

Pavé means to set close together as possible and means “pavement” in French. Perhaps the most common use of pavé is for diamonds; pavé diamonds are set close together in a way that resembles a road made of diamonds.

What is a potato pavé?

Chef Thomas Keller calls a dish where thin layers of a food are overlapped a pavé, hence potato pavé. Neat, thin rectangles of russet potato are cut using a mandoline. They are soaked in cream, then carefully layered in a loaf pan with butter and baked. Once cooled, the potatoes are weighted for at least six hours and up to two days.

What is pavé used for?

Perhaps the most common use of pavé is for diamonds; pavé diamonds are set close together in a way that resembles a road made of diamonds. There is also a Brazilian dessert called pavé, a rich concoction of layers of biscuits (often ladyfingers) and a cream made using condensed milk.

How do you make a potato pavé?

Neat, thin rectangles of russet potato are cut using a mandoline. They are soaked in cream, then carefully layered in a loaf pan with butter and baked. Once cooled, the potatoes are weighted for at least six hours and up to two days. When it’s time to serve the potato pavé, it’s removed from the pan, trimmed, and cut into serving pieces.

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