Provencal Potatoes with Tomatoes

Paper-thin potato rounds coated in tomato-paste-spiked olive oil, layered in a hot skillet with slices of Roma tomato, baked crisp, then showered with Parmesan under the broiler. That’s the whole thing, and it drinks deeply from the Provencal playbook of rustic, tomato-forward sides.

The key is cutting the potatoes at 1/16 inch. A mandoline makes this painless. Thicker slices steam instead of crisp, and the whole textural payoff disappears. Plum tomatoes are the right choice over beefsteak here because their lower water content keeps the pan from turning soupy.

Starting on the stovetop before the oven is the other smart move. That crackling sound you hear at 1½ minutes is the bottom layer beginning to brown, giving you a golden underside that the oven can’t replicate from a cold start.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet. Stainless is fine but may need extra oil on the bottom to prevent sticking.
• Don’t skip the tomato-paste-and-olive-oil toss. That thin coating is what caramelizes on the potato edges and supplies umami depth the dish would otherwise lack.
• Pat tomato slices dry with a paper towel before tucking them in. Less surface water means more caramelization, less steam.
• Watch the broiler carefully. Two minutes flat for the Parmesan, max. Burnt cheese is the fastest way to lose this dish.

Variations

• Scatter sliced black olives or capers between the potato layers for a true Niçoise twist.
• Tuck a few anchovy fillets underneath for a deeper, salty backbone.
• Swap Parmesan for grated Gruyère for a nuttier, meltier finish.