Potatoes Romanoff Recipe • 4★

Recipe from John Schenk

Adapted by Naz Deravian

Updated November 21, 2024

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.

Light and airy potatoes Romanoff are a nostalgic side dish popularized by chef John Schenk, formerly of Strip House steakhouses, who has credited his mother with preparing the dish using leftover baked russet potatoes. Whole russets are baked a day in advance and completely cooled in the refrigerator overnight for this version. This ensures the potatoes remain fluffy and don’t get mushy and wet. The potatoes are then grated (skins on) and gently tossed with shallots, Cheddar and sour cream. For the signature, almost souffle-like texture, take care to aerate the mixture, gently tossing it rather than mashing. A classic oval baking dish is ideal to mound the mixture and bake it in the oven, set in a hot water bath, but any oven-safe casserole dish will do. (Smaller individual dishes work as well.) Potatoes Romanoff complete a steak dinner and are equally welcome alongside a roast chicken or a holiday turkey. —Naz Deravian

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2 pounds russet potatoes (3 large), scrubbed well

Butter, for buttering the dish

2 ½ to 3 cups/10 ounces grated white Cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

½ teaspoon ground white or black pepper

¼ cup finely chopped shallot

1 ¾ cups sour cream

Chopped chives (optional), for garnish

Step 1Heat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the center position. Wrap each potato in foil and poke a few holes to allow the steam to escape. Bake until cooked through and a knife goes easily through a potato, about 1 ½ hours. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the foil, transfer potatoes to a plate, or similar dish, and let cool to room temperature, about 1 ½ hours. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to chill.

Heat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the center position. Wrap each potato in foil and poke a few holes to allow the steam to escape. Bake until cooked through and a knife goes easily through a potato, about 1 ½ hours. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the foil, transfer potatoes to a plate, or similar dish, and let cool to room temperature, about 1 ½ hours. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to chill.

Step 2Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a kettle or a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil and keep at a slow simmer. Butter a 6-by-11-inch baking dish (or similar) and set aside. Set aside ½ cup of the cheese.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a kettle or a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil and keep at a slow simmer. Butter a 6-by-11-inch baking dish (or similar) and set aside. Set aside ½ cup of the cheese.

Step 3Using the large holes on a box grater and starting from the short end of the potato, grate the potatoes, with the skins on, into a large bowl; discard any large pieces of skin that don’t make it through the grater. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper, and, using your hands or 2 forks, gently toss the grated potatoes so they don’t get mushy and instead remain airy, light and fluffy. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, being mindful that cheese will be added.

Using the large holes on a box grater and starting from the short end of the potato, grate the potatoes, with the skins on, into a large bowl; discard any large pieces of skin that don’t make it through the grater. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper, and, using your hands or 2 forks, gently toss the grated potatoes so they don’t get mushy and instead remain airy, light and fluffy. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, being mindful that cheese will be added.

Step 4Add the shallot and the remaining cheese, and lightly toss again. Add the sour cream and gently toss until incorporated, taking care not to mash the potatoes.

Add the shallot and the remaining cheese, and lightly toss again. Add the sour cream and gently toss until incorporated, taking care not to mash the potatoes.

Step 5Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Create a slight mound and gently spread, if necessary, without pushing the mixture down, then sprinkle on the reserved cheese. Place the dish on a rimmed sheet pan, transfer to the oven and very carefully pour the hot water into the sheet pan. Bake until browned in spots on top, 35 to 40 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Create a slight mound and gently spread, if necessary, without pushing the mixture down, then sprinkle on the reserved cheese. Place the dish on a rimmed sheet pan, transfer to the oven and very carefully pour the hot water into the sheet pan. Bake until browned in spots on top, 35 to 40 minutes.

Step 6Garnish with chopped chives, if you like, and serve.

Garnish with chopped chives, if you like, and serve.

This sounds like a reason to bake extra potatoes with the weekend roast, so a couple days later you can whip these together as a vegetarian main course with a salad, or roasted veg on the side for whichever day you designate as plant forward.

Scrub the potatoes and run through a salted bowl of water dry and bake.

Seems like an awful lot of tossing. Why not mix the salt, pepper, sour cream and cheese together? Then only one tossing step is necessary.

Nice side dish to accompany entrée that is very light such as fish. Also, great with a poached or over easy egg on top. Makes a nice dish that can be adapted for vegetarians by offering a warm casserole with poached eggs in it to put on top.Absolutely make extra baked potatoes so you can make this a few days later. The tasty or the cheese like a really nice aged cheddar the less you actually need and you can use the lighter sour cream if it’s not too watery, which will depend on the brand.

Why am I boiling water ?

For this sentence in Step 5: "Place the dish on a rimmed sheet pan, transfer to the oven and very carefully pour the hot water into the sheet pan."

Quite rich and it makes a lot! Served with prime rib for Christmas Eve dinner. Superb!

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026048-potatoes-romanoff