The mandoline is a slicing machine that works by cutting product
over a mounted knife blade. Why it is called a mandoline and not
a washboardwhich it more resemblesis anyone’s guess. It has folding
legs and an assortment of adjustable blades that slice firm products, such
as potatoes, radishes, carrots and apples with great precision and speed.
It cuts French fries, julienne and wider strips, as well as rippled and
waffled slices. Most mandolines have a safety guard/pusher-on-guides
device to hold and move the product so that fingers don’t become product
(a clear and present danger). There are at least two brands of all
stainless steel mandolines (Bron is most available) and fiberglass-framed
mandolines by Matfer (shown below with glove) and by Oxo. I prefer
the Matfer only because of its superior frame, which is easy to clean and
dry and won’t bind up in the joints as the stainless steel ones do.
I’ve yet to see the mandoline safety guard/pusher device in use in a
commercial kitchen. The devices are awkward and slow. All designed
by lawyers, no doubt. I was much relieved when my chef at the Old
George Town Club in Washington D.C. handed me a safety glove and 20 lbs
of potatoes. In his kitchen, working safe and fast trumped derring-do.
I trashed the guard/pusher and use a glove at home and have bought them
for friends who have the machine.
Is the mandoline
worth $150, plus $25 for a glove? Maybe yes, if you like les crudités
-raw vegetables, if you prepare a variety of potato dishes, if you have
always wanted to deep fry your own pommes de terre soufflees – puffed
potato chips and French fries, if you make county-class apple pies and
tarts, and if slicing all that product with your chef’s knife has become
a chore.
Here is the classic potato dish that the mandoline was made for.
Please refer to abbreviations, if needed.
Potatoes Gratinée
Yield: 6-8 servings
4 large Idaho
potatoes
pad butter
8 oz half and half or whipping cream
3/4 C grated fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or cheddar
1 garlic cloves chopped
or pureed
S/P
1. Butter a 14×9 or 12×12 inch pan
2. Add chopped garlic, salt (quite a lot) and pepper to cream and mix
with a
3. Peel (optional) and thinly slice potatoes with a mandoline, about
3/16″ thick
4. Immediately, layer sliced potatoes in overlap pattern
· Drizzle on cream mixture (stir often
to get the garlic)
· Add light sprinkle of cheese
5. Repeat for 3 to 5 layers
6. Cover with foil
7. Bake at 400F for about 45-60 minutes for 3 layers; 60-80 minutes
for 5 layers,
until potatoes are fork tender
8. Hold
9. Brown top under broiler before serving
Notes: Ham is a nice addition to this dish (about 1.5 cups). See
photo
See also Potatoes Ashley
