Potato Pavé

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash potatoes and set aside. If you’re using golden potatoes, there’s no need to peel.

In a small saucepan, add 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Once melted, add in minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.

Use a mandolin on the thinnest setting to slice potatoes. Place them in the bowl with the seasoned butter broth mixture and toss to combine.

Line a 9-inch by 6-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides. You can use butter or cooking spray on the pan before putting in the parchment to help hold it in place.

Start layering the potatoes around the bottom of the dish and continue stacking them in layers, pressing down slightly to ensure even distribution, until all potatoes are layered into the dish. Pour excess butter broth over the top and use the back of a wooden spoon to press down.

Cover with foil and place on the middle rack of preheated oven for 90 minutes. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes, or until slightly cool to the touch.

Remove foil and add a layer of parchment paper to the top of the potatoes. Top with a piece of cardboard that’s been cut to fit snugly into the baking dish/loaf pan. Loosely add the foil back to the top of the cardboard and use heavy cans or a weight to evenly press down. (Note: I use a 10-pound weight from my at-home gym.)

Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours to compress and fully set.

Remove from the refrigerator, discard foil and paper coverings. Turn out onto a cutting board. Carefully slice off any uneven edges to make a perfect rectangle. Cut into 24 perfect cubes.

In a small saucepan, heat 3 to 4 cups vegetable oil or the high-temperature oil of your choice to about 350 degrees F. Once oil is heated, use tongs or a slotted spoon to gently lower in potato cubes. Work in batches to fry the cubes for about 4 minutes each. You can flip halfway through for even cooking. (Note: If the oil doesn’t fully cover your potato cubes, you’ll want to cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side.)

Use tongs to place fried potato cubes on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while still hot. Once all of the potato cubes are fried, arrange them on a platter for serving.

Top with a small dollop of sour cream and sprinkle on fresh-chopped chives. You also can spoon on a little bit of caviar to take these even more over the top. Serve slightly warm to room temperature.