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Hello 

I had somekind of an incident happen to me when I was hosting dinner (I was mortified).

I was making a recipe in which potato slices have to cook in drippings on the stove (like this one Truffade recipe - BBC Food). Only it took HOURS litterally to cook the potatoes, they wouldn't get any tender at all, even when I tried to add water to speed the process as my guests and the children were hungry! :/ :/

Initially I thought maybe the potatoes were not adapted, but the next day, I cooked the same potatoes and they cooked fine in 10 minutes. 

I am at a loss to explain what happened - I am 47 so cooked potatoes many times, never happened. My slices were really really fine, like 0.5mm - could it be they were too fine? Could it be some kind of chemical reaction with the starch or similar?

Thank you for your help - I want to explain this!

Agnes

I fear I can't help. For July 4th, I couldn't get potatoes to cook for the salad ... but the whole bag was very slow cooking even in the microwave. I'd never seen it before and never figured out the why of it. PS. I have 30 more years of experience than you.

I found this article in Bon Appetit.  Might acid be the answer?

zephy

Trying to remember what I used as greasing agent, I think just butter and olive oil because I didn't have drippings, maybe the lactic acid in the butter? Thanks @mjes that makes me feel better!

My hunch was maybe they were cut too thin, because they were almost like paper thin, maybe not enough consistence for the chemical reaction needed for them to soften? 

The age of the potatoes, or how they had been stored, maybe by the grocery store(?) might affect them.  I often notice an odd sweet taste in potatoes that I believe comes from too cold storage temperature.  Potatoes are full of starch that can undergo molecular changes from temperature.  Just a hunch.

You need to first steam the potatoes for about 10-20 min depending on thickness or boil the sliced potatoes until almost cooked.  But do not overcook.  They need to hold shape.

Without first using liquid to cook the potatoes, these recipes which do not use any liquid ie milk, creme, beer, broth, water, wine in the baking stage stacked up in cooking pan or gratin tray with just cheese which is dense anyway just do not cook properly and take forever if ever.

Indeed, "I was making a recipe in which potato slices have to cook in drippings on the stove" :) (except that I used butter/oil instead of drippings)