Melting Potatoes
I have never made any secret of the fact that the humble potato is my absolute favourite vegetable of all the vegetables. I have never met a potato that I did not like.
Simply boiled and rolled in herbs and butter . . . especially lovely with the new potatoes early in the season, while they are still small . . . over here we get Jersey Royals which are in a delicious category all of their own . . . .
Cut into sticks and fried in hot fat, not once but twice . . . until golden brown on the exterior, whilst maintaining a fluffy interior . . . lightly salted and doused with malt vinegar . . .
Very thinly sliced or shredded into sticks and then fried in hot fat until they are super crispy such as potato chips or sticks . . . straw potatoes . . .
Peeled, cubed and boiled until tender . . . then mashed with plenty of butter, milk and seasoning . . . oh you can add all sorts to mash . . . shredded cooked cabbage, spring onions, steamed greens, horseradish . . . cheese. Let your imagination go wild!
Washed, dried and pricked with a fork then roasted in the skins in a hot oven . . . directly on the oven racks so that the air gets all around them . . . creating a super crisp skin. Crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. A gentle squeeze popping them open and revealing all of that potato fluff, hot and just waiting for a pat of cold butter . . .
Peeled and cut into large chunks, par-boiled and drained . . . . bang them up a bit in the saucepan to rough up the edges a but and then roll in hot goose-fat . . . roasted in a hot oven until crisp and golden brown . . . with all of those lovely little crisp bits created from knocking them about in the pan . . .
Boiled and sliced or cubed and then doused in a vinaigrette to create a beautiful potato salad, along with some creamy mayonnaise and your favourite add-ins . . .
There is really no end to what you can do with a potato. They are a meal in and of themselves . . . oh, I could not live without potatoes . . . I could NOT live without potatoes. Low carb does not work for me. You can take away my steak, but don't touch my potato!
This is another favourite way to use potatoes. Melting Potatoes. These are done in the oven, a very close cousin to fondant potatoes, (served here with pan roasted cod, very good) which are done in the same manner, except in a skillet on top of the stove.
These are just as simple, maybe even simpler . . . they are simply peeled, cut into thick slices, rolled in butter, herbs and seasonings and then roasted until golden brown all over . . . .
Once they are golden brown all over, you pour over a simple mix of stock, lemon juice and garlic and roast them a bit more . . .
They absorb the stock and lemon juice . . . there is garlic in the pan also, to impart even more flavour . . .
They end up being melting tender . . . filled with flavour . . . still holding their shape . . . golden brown . . .
The perfect side dish . . . for with meats or poultry . . . fish, etc.
We enjoyed them with a tender pot roast of beef and some vegetables. Oh boy, some good!
Melting Potatoes
Yield: 4
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 35 Mtotal time: 45 M
A side dish filled with lovely flavours and very reminiscent of Fondant Potatoes, with the exception that these are done in the oven. I can't think of anything these wouldn't go with.
ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced 1 inch thick (you will want a potato that is good for roasting and that will not fall apart)
- 4 TBS butter
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground paprika
- 240ml vegetable stock
- 1 TBS lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly bruised
instructions:
How to cook Melting Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to the 260*C/500*F or as high as your oven will go. Line a baking tray with sides with some aluminium foil. Put the butter onto the tray and place it into the oven for a few minutes to melt the butter. Remove from the oven and whisk it together with the thyme, salt, pepper and paprika. Add the sliced potatoes, turning them to coat them in the butter mixture. Spread them out into a single layer in the pan.
- Roast the potatoes in the upper third of the oven for 10 minutes. Remove them and flip them over. Return to the oven and roast for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Flip them over again. Whisk together the vegetable stock and lemon juice. Pour this into the pan around the potatoes. Add the garlic cloves. Roast for a further 10 to 15 minutes, at which time they will be beautifully golden brown and tender throughout. Serve hot. I like to sprinkle them with some parsley which really dresses them up!
It only takes a little more than half an hour in a hot oven to achieve moreish perfection. You are going to love these. I promise you.
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