Irish Potato Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 cups Potatoes, peeled and shredded
• 1/2 cup Butter, melted
• 2 whole Eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp Onion, minced
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Method

Shred the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater, then squeeze them hard in a clean tea towel to expel excess moisture. Wet potatoes steam instead of bake and will give you a soggy casserole — this is non-negotiable. The drier the shreds, the crisper the edges will become.

Melt the butter and whisk it into the beaten eggs with the salt and paprika, then fold in the potatoes and minced onion. The eggs act as a egg-binding agent here, setting the mixture into a cohesive bake as they coagulate in the heat. This isn't a sauce — you're after a creamy interior held together by protein networks, not by excessive liquid.

Pour the mixture into a buttered 1.5 litre dish and bake at 175°C. After 35 minutes, the top should begin to firm and the potatoes will soften; the interior will still wobble slightly when you shake the dish. This is the point to pour the milk evenly across the surface — it will sink into the gaps and distribute itself as the residual heat penetrates the mixture. If you add it at the start, the milk drowns the potato-cooking process and prevents proper caramelisation at the edges.

Return the casserole to the oven. After another 5 minutes, scatter the grated Cheddar across the top. The cheese needs only 3 to 4 minutes to melt and colour — watch for the first amber spots to appear around the edges. Overcooked cheese breaks and oils separate; you want it molten and just beginning to brown at the peaks.

Rest the dish for 5 minutes after removing it from the oven before serving. This allows the interior to set slightly, so when you spoon it out, you get distinct layers: the crisp, browned top, the creamy middle, and the set potato base. The contrast between these textures is what makes this casserole-cooking technique work.