Even though we inherited Marion Becker’s pommes Anna pan, a beautiful copper piece of cookware specifically made for this dish, we usually use a heavy-lidded ovenproof skillet instead. A mandoline makes slicing the potatoes a breeze.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. Have ready:

Pour the butter into a medium ovenproof skillet or pommes Anna pan to a depth of ¼ inch. Set over medium-low to low heat and layer in:

Build the bottom layer carefully with overlapping, nicely shaped slices. As you assemble, sprinkle each layer with:

When all the potatoes are layered in the pan and the bottom has formed a light crust, lightly butter or oil a skillet slightly smaller than the pan and press it firmly on top of the potatoes to compress them. Cover the pan tightly with foil, or cap with the pommes Anna pan lid. Put the pan in the oven on a baking sheet to catch drips. Bake for 20 minutes, uncover, and press down firmly on the potatoes again. Bake, uncovered, until the sides are visibly browned and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes more. Holding the skillet or lid firmly against the potatoes, tilt the pan and pour off any melted butter that has not been absorbed. To serve, loosen the edges from the pan with a thin metal spatula, then invert the potatoes onto a plate and slice into wedges. Sometimes the bottom gets stuck in the skillet. Don’t panic! Use the spatula to loosen the misbehaving potatoes from the bottom of the skillet and gingerly place it where it belongs, on top of the finished pommes Anna. No one will be the wiser.