Question: Scalloped Potatoes

Subject: Question: Scalloped Potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking

From: idlewild at webspan.net (Idlewild)
Date: Sun, 19 Oct 1997 21:32:46 -0500
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Here is one of the ways I have found for using potatoes. now tell me - what exactly are scalloped potatoes? i don't think i've ever had them before. what i ended up with was basically potatoes baked in a very thin sauce... no, not even a sauce. it was too liquidy for that. is that right? it seemed like... almost like if i added a can of clams, i could have clam chowder.

Scalloped Potatoes

4 medium red potatoes (3 c. sliced)
1 stalk green onion
2 tablespoons flour (total)
2 tablespoons butter (total)
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
paprika

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Peel and thinly slice potatoes (I used a Benriner). Parboil them for ~8 minutes, until no longer crisp. Slice green onion into small circles. Grease a 10" baking pan, put down 1/3 of the potatoes in an even layer. Sprinkle on some of the flour (I put it in a mini-sieve and sprinkled on like powder sugar cookies). Dot with a little butter. Repeat until the third layer of potatoes is laid down. Heat cream and milk, season with salt. Pour over potatoes. Sprinkle on some paprika. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Notes: Recipe adapted from "Joy of Cooking"

From: hartmans at ix.netcom.com (Kay Hartman)
Date: 20 Oct 1997 01:52:51 GMT
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Scalloped potatoes are potatoes that are sliced and baked in cream. They may or may not be parboiled. They may or may not have onions.

>what i ended up with was basically potatoes baked in a very
>thin sauce... no, not even a sauce. it was too liquidy for that. is
>that right? it seemed like... almost like if i added a can of clams, i
>could have clam chowder.

That's not right. You want to wind up with something thick and creamy.

>Scalloped Potatoes
>
>4 medium red potatoes (3 c. sliced)

First of all, you used red potatoes. I would not use a waxy potato. I would use a floury potato, like a Russet. I think you would have better luck switching potatoes. Give it a try.

From: Brian Mailman (bmailman at hooked.deleeetemeee.net)
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 1997 17:39:20 -0700
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Yup. Use a floury potato. The secret is DON'T RINSE THEM AFTER PEELING. The starch on the outside helps thicken the sauce.

From: seesa2 at aol.com (Seesa 2)
Date: 20 Oct 1997 03:28:03 GMT
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The recipe sounds ok except maybe I would use a starchier potato. I prefer Yukon golds or an Idaho baking potato.
I don't use an exact recipe for making scalloped potatoes. All depends on how many people.

Scrub and slice thin 4 large potatoes (Dont soak the potaoes in water) Keep the skins on for more vitimins
1 med onion sliced thin
Salt & pepper
Butter or margerine (I use approx 1 tablespoon per potato)
Flour (again I use 1 Tablespoon per potato)
Milk enough to just cover the poratoes.

in a deep baking dish, layer Potatoes season with salt & pepper, dab the butter then sprinkle with flour.
Top with onion, repeat layers until potatoes are gone.
add milk to the dish until its even with the top of the potatoes.
Bake 350 for 45-60 minutes (I like the crusty top)
The flour/butter is the roux to thicken the sauce. if there isnt enough, the sauce will be watery.
I also use skim milk so I add a bit extra butter/flour to even it out.

I will add leftover ham or chicken and corn (canned, frozen or fresh from the ear). for a complete meal casserole.

From: carol-arie at usa.net (Damsel in dis Dress)
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 03:47:57 GMT
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Seesa 2 spake unto us, saying:
>I will add leftover ham or chicken and corn (canned, frozen or fresh
> from the ear). for a complete meal casserole.

I'm glad you mentioned ham. I can't imagine eating scalloped potatoes without ham cubes or chunks. "Scalloped Potatoes" is *always* followed by, "and Ham."

Carol

From: Richard Cody (richcod at worldnet.att.net)
Date: 20 Oct 1997 14:01:07 GMT
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YOUR RECIPE SOUNDS GOOD
IF IT'S TOO SOUPY USE LESS MILK OR TRY HALF AND HALF
I USULAY BAKE MINE UNCOVERED TO LET THE MOISTURE OUT AND ABOUT 15-20 MINS. BEFORE DONE I SPRINKEL SHREDED CHEDDAR ON TOP BUT NOT NESSARY
LET ME KNOW HOW IT COMES OUT MINE IS RATHER GOOD AND I HAVE HAD COMPLEMENTS ON IT

From: garnet1960 at aol.com (Regina)
Date: 20 Oct 1997 15:28:23 GMT
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Try using all evaporated skimmed milk in place of the milk/heavy cream. It tastes very rich, comes out thick and creamy and cuts down on the fat in the dish. I found this out because I have trouble digesting dairy fats and the results are impressive!

From: dawna at portal.ca (Spooky)
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 16:40:59 GMT
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Okay, this is different enough that it probably doesn't qualify as scalloped potatoes, so I'll call it "Vampire Spuds" which is what my dearly beloved calls it. Although I guess more accurately they would be Anti-Vampire Spuds! Very easy.

Thinly Slice 1 potato per person
Thinly slice 1 large onion

Alternate potato and onion in a lightly oil-sprayed wide, flat dish. You want lots of surface area for crustiness.

Make a thin white sauce.

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour

Cook and stir this on low heat, but don't let it change colour. Add, slowly at first so as not to cause lumps, 2 cups of milk. It helps the blending process if the milk is at room temperature. Add several cloves of fresh crushed garlic to the sauce. Stir until mixture thickens slightly. Pour over potatoes. Bake in a 350 F oven until potatoes are tender and there is a nice, brown crusty top.

From: moyerclan (jmoyer at concentric.net)
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 08:43:02 -0700
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I make scallopped potatoes by slicing raw potatoes thin, layering them in a greased baking dish , sprinkling each layer with salt and then spreading a medium white sauce over. Just continue layering and bake about 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 350. The use of a cooked white sauce makes them creamy (unlike I guess your recipe that didn't make a sauce) and either ham or keilbasa cubes added to the layering is nice. I'll sometimes also add some thinly sliced onion too.
Madeline

From: nancy-dooley at uiowa.edu (Nancy Dooley)
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 19:39:33 GMT
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Scalloped potatoes are potatoes baked with milk/flour/butter/seasonings, so that they should turn out as sliced potatoes/onions (I use sliced Bermudas) in a medium (at least) thick white sauce.

When I make them without making white sauce first, they are always too watery (but my granny could do it). So I always make a thick/medium thick white sauce first, and layer it with the potato slices. I also put in some parsley flakes, and sometimes some chopped garlic.

Scalloped potatoes should NOT be runny like soup. They are really excellent with cubed-up left over ham in them, and a light-browned sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top. Kinda German comfort food.

From: Kate Connally (kconnally at physast1.phyast.pitt.edu)
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 10:46:54 -0700
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I never use white sauce and neither did my mother or grandmother. (My aunt, however, has gone over to the other side. :-)) We put a layer of potatoes (russets, always) then sprinkle with salt, pepper, flour, and dab with butter. The top layer you leave out the flour, just use salt, pepper, and butter. Then pour milk over until it comes to the top of the potatoes and a little above. Bake a very long time, until potatoes are tender and milk is absorbed. Probably about 2 hours. I've never had a problem with it being watery or runny.

P. S. My aunt's version involves white sauce, ham, and cheese. I like it, but I don't want to do all that work to make a white sauce and also I sometimes just crave it the way my mother made it.

From: pthorn at ihug.co.nz (Pam Thornbury)
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 20:33:18 GMT
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Idlewild wrote:
>Scalloped Potatoes
>
>4 medium red potatoes (3 c. sliced)
>1 stalk green onion
>2 tablespoons flour (total)
>2 tablespoons butter (total)
>1/2 cup heavy cream
>3/4 cup milk
>1 teaspoon salt
> paprika

I use the same recipe with the addition of a few dots of butter, but cook it in the microwave I cover the dish with plastic wrap, make a couple of tiny holes in the wrap to let the steam out. Cook for 10-15mins until cooked. Then remove wrap, sprinkle top of potatoes with a tasty cheese (cheddar or parmesan) and brown under a very hot grill for a few minutes.

From: pambern at aol.com (PamBern)
Date: 22 Oct 1997 03:03:17 GMT
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Idlewild writes:
>what i ended up with was basically potatoes baked in a very
>thin sauce... no, not even a sauce.

I think maybe you added too much liquid. I have made potatoes in a similar way, but I think I used less liquid, and they came creamy, not watery.