Potatoes Romanoff

Scrub large russet potatoes clean, wrap in foil and poke with a small knife so steam can escape.

Bake in the center of a 400F oven about an hour and a quarter, until a knife slides in.

Unwrap, cool to room temperature, rewrap and refrigerate overnight; they must be completely cold to grate.

Grate with the skins on a cheese grater, discarding the last large piece of skin.

Dice the shallot very finely; it goes in raw.

With two forks, toss in the shallot, kosher salt (about a teaspoon per potato), white pepper and a little cayenne, using the fork toss and clean method so the potatoes are not mashed.

Toss in grated sharp white cheddar until just combined, then lots of sour cream until barely combined.

Pile loosely and high into a buttered baking dish without compressing; settle with the tip of a fork and dust with cayenne.

Bake in the center of a 425F oven about 30 minutes, until piping hot through and browned on top.