riacmt@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (Carol Miller-Tutzauer) (11/16/90)
OK...here goes. Several potato recipes.
New Potatoes Baked with Bay Leaves and Lemon -- Bon Appetit, Oct. 1988
--------------------------------------------
2 lbs red new potatoes, quartered (or substitute larger red potatoes cut into
1 1/2 inch chunks)
1/4 c plus 2 T fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 t dried oregano, crumbled (optional)
1 t grated lemon peel (optional)
1 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
1/2 c olive oil
20 bay leaves (buy them by the bag at an Italian market, much cheaper)
Preheat oven to 375 deg F. Lightly oil a large shallow baking dish.
Add potatoes to dish. Mix lemon juice, oregano, lemon peel, salt, and
pepper in a bowl. Whisk in oil. Pour over potatoes; toss well. Tuck
bay leaves around potatoes. Bake until potatoes are golden brown and
knife pierces centers easily, turning potatoes every 10 minutes, about
45 minutes. (Note: Depending on the age & water content of your
potatoes, this can vary greatly. We have baked them as little as 30
minutes and as long as an hour and a half.)
Variation: Use some other herb in abundance in place of the bay
leaves. Lots of oregano is nice, as is thyme.
Greek-Style Potatoes -- My own recipe (Carol Miller-Tutzauer)
--------------------
7 medium potatoes
1/4 c olive oil
2 T tomato paste
juice of 2 lemons
1 can chicken broth (or 1 1/2 c homemade stock)
1 T Greek oregano
1/2 t salt
Salt & freshly ground black pepper for adjusting seasonings just prior to
serving
Peel potatoes and quarter length-wise. Place in an oiled casserole
dish (covered) and microwave or bake until tender. In the meantime,
make marinade by heating olive oil in a saucepan. Add tomato paste and
fry for 30-45 seconds. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5
minutes. Pour over cooked potatoes. Let stand 15 minutes or more. If
you happen to be grilling outside, remove potatoes from marinade
(reserve marinade) and brown briefly on grill, then return to marinade
to serve. If not grilling anything, spread potatoes into shallow
baking dish and broil (under heating element) until slightly browned or
just bake in a 400 deg F oven for another 15-20 minutes. Adjust
seasonings (salt & pepper) to taste before serving.
Note: If you want to simplify this whole dish, you can just put all
ingredients into a shallow baking dish and bake until potatoes are
tender. We usually grill the potatoes because that way they taste like
the roasted-over-charcoal ones we used to get in Chicago's Greektown.)
Dum Aloo - Whole Potatoes in Spicy Yogurt Gravy -- Julie Sahni's Classic
----------------------------------------------- Indian Cooking
12 even-sized small boiling potatoes, such as red wax potatoes (about 2 lbs
altogether (or substitute larger potatoes, cut into smaller pieces and
then round off the sharp edges with a potato peeler or paring knife)
7 T light vegetable oil
1 1/2 c finely chopped onions (if chopping in a food processor, make sure they
don't get soupy)
1 T finely chopped ginger root
2 t ground cumin
4 t ground coriander
1 t tumeric
1/2 to 1 t red pepper
1 t Mughal garam masala (see recipe which follows)
2 c chopped or pureed fresh tomatoes, or 1 c canned tomato sauce
2/3 c plain yoghurt
4 t Kosher salt
2/3 c heavy cream (since my husband can't eat cholesterol-laden things, we
either leave this out, with excellent results, or substitute 1/2 c low-
fat milk, or canned evaporated skimmed milk)
1. Peel potatoes and prick them in 4 or 5 places. Put them in a bowl
of cold water until you are ready to cook them.
2. Heat 5 T of the vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan that can
hold all the potatoes in one layer (such as a 5-quart casserole; cast
iron dutch oven is great) over medium-high heat. When the oil is very
hot, drain the potatoes, pat them dry on paper towels, and add to pan
with oil. Fry them until they acquire several tiny browned spots and a
crust (about 8-10 minutes), turning and tossing them to ensure even
browning. (This is an essential step, as the browning prevents the
potatoes' falling apart during prolonged cooking.) With a slotted
spoon, transfer them to a bowl.
3. Add the rest of the oil to the pan along with the onions. Fry
until the onions turn caramel brown (the onions will become kind of
sticky and the oil will separate from them -- about 15 minutes),
stirring constantly so that they do not burn. Add ginger, and fry for
an additional 30 seconds. Add cumin, coriander, tumeric, red pepper,
and Mughal garam masala all at once, and stir rapidly for 15 seconds.
Add tomatoes, yoghurt, salt, and the fried potatoes (in one layer), and
bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer very gently, covered (we also
crimp some aluminum foil around the lid edges to ensure a good seal),
for 35 minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Check during
cooking to make sure the gravy is not sticking and burning (one of
those heat diffusers is great to use if you have one to put under your
pot). The gravy should be thick enough to coat the potatoes. If it
looks thin and runny, increase heat and boil rapidly, uncovered, until
it reduces to the desired consistency. If, on the other hand, the
gravy is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water.
4. Add cream, stir, and simmer until heated through. If you want the
dish to taste milder and subtler, stir in a little more oil (about 2 T).
Check for salt, and serve.
Note: This dish improves with keeping. for best results make it at
least a few hours before you are going to serve it. It can be
refrigerated for up to 4 days without loss of flavor.
Short-cut notes: If you don't want to make your own garam masala, pick
up a prepared one in an Indian market. Also, you might use a prepared
curry paste as a substitute for the spice combination called for in the
recipe. Just be creative. I have done a version of this using a Thai
curry paste that I buy in a big tub, with excellent, though different,
results. I then added unsweetened coconut milk instead of cream at the
end.
Variation: Add a bunch of chopped cilantro (fresh green coriander or
chinese parsley) toward the end of the cooking time if you like.
Mughul Garam Masala -- Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking
-------------------
(Makes 3/4 c, which can then be stored in your pantry for use as needed)
1/2 c (about 60) black, or 1/3 c (about 200) green cardamom pods (get these in
large bags from the Indian market)
2 cinnamon sticks, 3 inches long
1 T whole cloves
1 T black peppercorns
1 1/2 t grated nutmeg (optional, but I like it in there)
Break open cardamom pods, remove seeds, and reserve. Discard the
skin. Crush cinnamon with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin to break it
into small pieces. Combine all the spices except nutmeg, and grind
them to a fine powder (I use a Braun coffee grinder that I use ONLY for
spices, no coffee beans). Mix in the grated nutmeg, if desired. Store
in an airtight container in a cool place.
Note: If it seems like too much to grind up your own mixture, just use
a bit of the same spices (using pre-ground versions) in your dish. For
the recipe above you might use 1/2 t ground cardamom, 1/4 t ground
cinnamon, 1/4 t ground clove, 1/4 t ground black pepper, and a pinch of
ground nutmeg. Just add this to the other spice amounts called for in
the recipe.
Roast Chicken with Herbs and Potatoes -- variation of a standard country
------------------------------------- French dish
1 3-lb whole chicken (fryer, because that's what's cheap; the French would use
a nice free-range roaster)
5 medium potatoes
2 T plus 2 T plus 6 T olive oil
1 bunch herbs (sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary are all nice, or a combination)
1/4 c wine or chicken stock (if using the latter, make it from the neck &
giblets, use canned, or pull from your stock of
homemade stuff, as you like; you can use white
wine instead if you like)
another 1/4 c wine, chicken stock, or water
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Rub the chicken with 2 T olive oil. Rub bird inside & out with salt
and pepper. Pin wing tips backwards against back and set on top of the
bunch of herbs in the roasting pan. (This will keep the back from
sticking to the bottom of the pan while also imparting a wonderful
flavor to the meat juices. If you have enough, also put a sprig or two
of herbs into the chicken cavity.) Pour wine (or chicken broth) over
bird and drizzle with another 2 T olive oil. Preheat oven to 425 deg F
(yes, very hot!). In the meantime, clean potatoes and cut into
quarters. Add 6 T olive oil in a large, shallow baking dish (one large
enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer), making sure to coat
entire bottom and sides. Place potatoes in olive-oiled dish and toss
to coat with olive oil. Salt & pepper as desired. Place the chicken
(roasting pan) and the potatoes (baking dish) in the pre-heated oven.
Roast for 20 minutes, basting chicken every 7 minutes. At the end of
the 20 minutes, turn potatoes over. Continue cooking both chicken and
potatoes for another 20 minutes, basting chicken occasionally. At the
end of the second 20 minutes, take some kitchen shears (this is
easiest; or a knife) and cut the chicken into pieces. Place pieces on
top of potatoes. Now use a bit of broth, wine, or water (1/4 c) to
"scrape" the chicken drippings from the roasting pan. Pour these over
chicken and potatoes. Roast another 10 minutes or so until chicken
juices run clear when poked with a fork. Great served with rice,
bread, and a green salad if you want a complete meal. Sauteed
asparagus or carrots is also a nice accompaniment.
Rosemary Roasted Potatoes (Pommes Peabody) -- Lucinda Hutson, The Herb Garden
------------------------------------------ Cookbook
2 medium size Idaho potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 T best quality olive oil (extra virgin)
2-3 T minced shallots or green onions
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 generous sprinkling fresh rosemary sprigs (or substitute 1 T dried)
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1/4 t crushed dried red chile pepper (or more!)
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 T melted butter
Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Lightly coat a 10-12-inch cast-iron skillet
with olive oil. Place the potatoes in a single layer overlapping
slightly and lining the sides of the pan. Sprinkle with shallots and
lemon juice. Tuck small sprigs of rosemary between the potato slices
(or sprinkle with dried rosemary after you have rubbed or crushed it
between your palms); drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle
with the grated nutmeg, crushed red chile, salt, and pepper. Cook for
50-55 minutes until lightly crisp and golden. Drizzle with melted
butter and cook another 5 minutes. Serves 4 as a side dish.
Note: The author notes that she often combines rosemary sprigs with
fresh sage, thyme, and savory sprigs. If desired, you can generously
sprinkle Parmesan on top of the butter before the last 5 minutes of
cooking (I pass on that suggestion, myself.)
---
Now for a few "simple and I'm starving and all I got is potatoes"
dishes I've prepared in the past:
Stir-fried potatoes in Hot Bean Sauce
-------------------------------------
2 medium potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/8-inch slices
3 to 4 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 slices gingerroot, minced
Sauce mixture: 2 T hot bean sauce (or substitute chili paste with garlic,
a prepared Szechuan sauce, or something similar)
1 T dry sherry (preferred) or white wine (if you've got it)
1 T soy sauce
Heat oil in wok. Add garlic & gingerroot; saute for about 30 seconds
or until fragrant. Add potatoes and stir fry until they start to get
tender (it may take a while as potatoes were really not ever intended
to be stir-fried & eaten half-crunchy). You can, if you like, add a
couple tablespoons of water, cover, and reduce the heat to steam the
potatoes a bit so they start to get done quicker. Before potatoes are
entirely tender, add sauce mixture and toss. Continue to stir-fry
(increase the heat if you have previously reduced it) until most of the
moisture is gone. That's it.
Country-Style Breakfast Potatoes
--------------------------------
2 medium potatoes, peeled, quartered, and sliced into 1/8-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
3 to 4 T vegetable oil
Lots of salt & freshly ground pepper
Heat oil over high heat. Add potatoes and fry, turning every once in a
while, until they begin to brown in places. Add onion and fry for
about 1 minute. Add salt & pepper; toss to distribute. Now add about
3 T water, immediately cover, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes
are tender (about 3 to 5 minutes).
Potato Picatta (I know...it sounds weird, but when you are in the mood for
-------------- pork or chicken picatta and all you got are potatoes, no
meat, you just improvise)
2 or 3 medium potatoes, pre-cooked with skins on if possible (I have zapped
them in the microwave before; I have also used left-over baked potatoes
with good results)
3 T olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 T capers (if you like them and have them around)
salt & lots of freshly ground black pepper
Slice pre-cooked potatoes into thin slices. Heat olive oil in
non-stick skillet. Add garlic and saute briefly. Lower heat to medium
and saute potatoes until warmed through. Add capers, squeeze lemon
juice over, and add salt & pepper as desired. Toss until lemon juice
is absorbed and capers are warmed through. If you want some "juice"
with this, you can add a bit of broth. I personally like them kind of
"dry".
Raw Potatoes -- peel, slice, eat with lots of salt, just like you eat carrot
------------ sticks. A favorite from my childhood when mom said "No candy
or cookies, eat something healthy"!
(recipe self-contained in title)
===
Well, hope all you poor college student folks get some mileage out of
the above recipes. (We mortgage-payers like potatoes, too, though.)
Carol