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1. First, clarify the butter in a small, heavy saucepan or skillet by melting it slowly, skimming off the surface foam. Spoon the clear butter on top into a bowl and discard the milky solids (whey) at the bottom of the pan. There should be about 6 tablespoons of clarified butter.
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2. With a vegetable slicer or thin sharp knife, carefully cut the potatoes into slices no more than 1/16-inch thick. Do not soak, rinse or dry the slices.
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3. In a heavy 8-inch skillet with sloping sides, heat 2 tablespoons of clarified butter, swirling it around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan evenly, until it is hot but not sizzling.
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4. Remove the skillet from the heat, lay potato slices in concentric circles, with each slice slightly overlapping the last, over the bottom of the skillet.
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5. With a pastry brush, spread a little more butter on top of the slices; season them lightly with salt and pepper.
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6. Then shake the skillet back and forth to be sure the potato slices move together as one mass without sticking to the bottom of the pan.
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7. If they don't slide freely, loosen the bottom with a metal spatula and cook them over low heat for 10 seconds to heat the butter and set the potatoes.
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8. Off the heat, arrange a second layer of potatoes in concentric circles, brush with butter, season with salt and pepper, and shake the pan again to be sure the bottom layer is still free.
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9. Continue to build up layers of potatoes, buttering and seasoning each one, until the skillet is full. Pour the remaining butter over the top layer of potatoes.
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10. Return the skillet to moderate heat and cook, shaking gently and constantly, to keep the potatoes moving as one mass, until the butter sizzles.
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11. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan tightly, and cook-gently shaking the pan from time to time-for 30 minutes, or until the upper layers of potatoes are tender when pierced with the point of a sharp knife.
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12. When the potatoes are done, remove the cover and slide a narrow metal spatula around the inside edge of the skillet, freeing any potatoes that stick to the sides.
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13. Gently force the spatula down and as far under the potatoes as possible without disrupting the design.
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14. Place a round heated platter upside down over the skillet and, grasping the platter and skillet together, reverse them quickly. The potatoes should emerge as a round, compact cake.
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15. If any slices stick to the skillet, carefully lift them out and put them where they belong on the cake. Before serving, remove any butter that collects on the platter with a basting syringe. Garnish the potatoes with chopped parsley.
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