Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Perfect roasted potatoes

So I finally found a tip online about how to get really good, and crusty, roasted potatoes.  After you've cut up your potatoes and par boiled them for 5 minutes (and 5 minutes only...you're not cooking them fully, just getting them started), drain them and return them back to the pot.  Then, SHAKE-SHAKE-SHAKE the potatoes vigorously in the pot until they start to "fuzz" - meaning their edges start to get rubbed down and the wonderful flaky starchy-ness coats the poatoes.  Like this:

It is this lovely coating that will that will become the crusty exterior when you bake them.  I then tossed mine in a generous coating of EVOO, and harrisa spice:
If you don't have some of this, get ya' some.  It's fantastic - but not for the weak at heart, it is spicy.  It's basically Hungarian paprika, cayenne pepper, and a few other things.  It's so yummy!  I get mine at the Dallas Farmer's Market from the spice lady at Kurry King - love them! 

Mmmm, yumminess waiting to be baked up!  I've tossed in a few cloves of crushed garlic here as well for some flavor:

Then I bake them at at 375 for about an hour.  I check them 3-4 times, flipping them so each edge gets a crusty coating.  And baby, these are SO GOOD...like crispy pillows of spicy goodness!  :)  The par boiling technique beforehand ensures the potatoes won't dry out during baking, in addition to slightly breaking down the edges of the potato so you can create that crust coating in the end result.  Try some!  :)

3 comments:

  1. OMG, Girl!
    You so have to bring some of that to Phoenix, and we're gonna do them up! I see some tini action and these spuds... What do Gay horses eat? HAAAAAAAY!!!

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  2. You can't have those in Phoenix unless a certain visitor from Santa Fe is there too!!! HAAAAAY!!

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  3. Okay, you're both listed as anonymous, but I'm guessing that's David or Mark and Maria!? Maria - welcome to my blog lady, thanks for visiting! :)

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