Pommes Anna

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Brush the bottom of a small frying pan or a smallish baking dish with oil. Sprinkle a bit of salt, pepper and some of the herbs over.

2. Use a vegetable peeler, a mandolin (not the instrument!), or a large, sharp knife to cut the potato into really thin slices (1/4cm or less but don’t get your ruler out – just go as thin as you can). Don’t worry about peeling them, unless you want to.

3. Create a single, slightly overlapping layer with the potatoes. Drizzle over a bit of oil. Scatter a pinch of salt, pepper and herbs over. Continue creating seasoned, lightly oiled layers until you’ve used up all of your spuds and it’s nearly to the top of the pan or dish. Press the potato cake down with your hands. Season and oil the top layer. Cover with a lid or some greaseproof paper and bake for 30 mins, or until the potatoes are fully soft – test by piercing through the centre with a sharp knife.

4. Uncover the potatoes and cook for a further 15-20mins, until the top is nice and golden. Serve straight from the pan or you can invert the potato cake onto a dish and cut into wedges like a quiche.