There are roasted potatoes. And then there are crispy roasted potatoes. So when I discovered a new way to perk up some tubers, I was only to thrilled to try it out. In addition to this method of treating the potatoes, the lemon-sage is something I’m pretty happy to discover (and use more often).
I had a big bagful of baby potatoes that I wanted to use up so I flipped through my favourite books for inspiration. What particularly caught my fancy was the one with lemon, garlic (surprise surprise!) and sage from the Ottolenghi cookbook.
While making these potatoes, I tried something new that would give me an even crispier outside. Are you ready for it? So here is what I did: I boiled the potatoes in salted water. Then cut them into half while still warm (you just might learn to juggle while doing this.) And then finally threw all the cut potatoes into a huge box (a bowl covered with a plate works just as well) and shook the whole thing up pretty vigorously. Of course, you need to make sure that you don’t boil the potatoes too much – just until a knife goes through without any resistance. A little more, and the potatoes will fall apart when you’re bashing them up. The point here is to bash up the potatoes a little so they get rough on the edges. This way, they will get super, and I mean super crispy once they are done. And the inside? Soft and velvety – just like mashed potatoes. Hat tip: Molly and Matthew for introducing me to this method on their Crispy Potato podcast. Incidentally, Nigella Lawson is so proud of this method of hers that she’s included it in four of her cookbooks! Although she uses over 2 cups of goose fat (gasp).
Another thing that I like to do is to keep the potatoes in the oven for a slightly longer time than prescribed in the recipes. This too, helps in making it crispier. These are excellent to make ahead of time as well. You can cook them fully and then just before serving, put them in the oven for ten minutes and they are good to gobble.
Go make them, you’re going to love it. And to suit your taste, you can add whatever spice or seasoning you like.
Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Lemon, Garlic and Sage
Inspired from: Ottolenghi Cookbook (USA | UK | India) and Nigella Lawson (USA | UK | India)
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1kg / 2.2lbs new potatoes (if you’re using larger potatoes, you can cut them to the size you like)
4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
50ml olive oil
2 tbsp roughly chopped sage
1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Method:
- Boil the potatoes in plenty of salted water. Pass a knife through it to check for doneness after 7-9 minutes. Longer, if you’re using larger potatoes.
- Once boiled, cut the potatoes into half lengthwise and transfer to a big box that will hold all the potatoes and still have additional room. Shake the box vigorously until the potatoes look smashed on the edges.
- Toss with garlic, olive oil, sage, juice of lemon, salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a roasting pan and layer the potatoes in a single layer.
- Roast the potatoes in the oven at 200C/390F for 30-40 minutes until crispy, golden and brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately, perhaps with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
Like this post? Subscribe or Share it!
Things have been a little quiet on the blog, but it’s quite the opposite in the Purple Foodie kitchen.
Last week, friends who run a Bombay-based lifestyle website coaxed me into selling my bakes. Just two days after that conversation, The Purple Foodie Catering was born. “It won’t be much,” they told me. Clearly, they underestimated their reach. Messages and emails from readers and well wishers poured in, as did orders for a whole bunch of things. My recipe list doubled up as a menu for requests, and that’s how it’s pretty much going to work until I get a few hours to finalise and design the menu. If you’re in Bombay, you’ve got to subscribe to Brown Paper Bag’s weekend guides. They find these cute hole-in-the-wall places and report about new and fun things to do in the city.
A catering mini-launch was just one thing. I also began writing for another popular city blog. I submitted a story that I’m really proud of – a Crawford Market Guide; a guide to the city’s best food market. I worked with Matt to put the the interiors of the market on paper – something that’s not been done before for this Victorian era market. I looked through almost every shop to put together all the information you’re going to need on your next visit to Crawford Market. Be sure to download the map.
All of this week, I’ve pretty much been elbow deep in flour, and absolutely loving every bit of it. So here I am running around getting some basic packaging in place, buying supplies and delivering the bakes! Regular food blogging should resume soonish.
Another thing I wanted to talk to you about is garlic oil. Loads of sliced up garlic, fresh thyme, red chilli flakes infused into fruity extra virgin olive oil over the slightest simmer (yes, simmer because the moisture from the garlic will make the oil bubble and appear as though the oil were simmering). In all of 15 minutes, you will have sweet garlic slices that you could eat without feeling the bite. I can imagine this being so perfect with plain boiled pasta. And to top that you will be hit by a fragrance of sweet, spicy and herby all at the same time.
Garlic oil is excellent in salad dressings, as a finishing oil for pastas and risottos, or best of all, to make these garlicky baked fries (which incidentally, have got 171K views so far). I pretty much eyeballed the garlic oil, so measurements are approximates: 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, 7-9 cloves of garlic (sliced), a few sprigs of fresh thyme and 1 tsp red chilli flakes. This makes enough to last me about a week, so it should for you, too.
Like this post? Subscribe or Share it!
I’m going to keep it short for two reasons: words fail me because this is more delicious than I ever expected something with zucchini to be and secondly because you must run to the kitchen and make the zucchini bruschetta this very minute (or head to the store if you haven’t any zucchini).
I had this bruschetta at a brunch I went for recently and I absolutely loved it! I learned a few things I’d like to share:
- Thyme and zucchini is a match made in heaven.
- The bruschetta tastes especially good at room temperature. This makes it an excellent do-ahead recipe.
- The bread was toasted in a ridged pan until some spots were slightly charred, imparting a pleasantly earthy taste. This was a refreshing change from my usual practice of toasting bread in the oven.
It’s so easy to put together, can be made ahead of time, and is so full of flavour. What’s not to like? I can imagine a smear of goat’s cheese on the bruschetta being a superb addition to the flavours. Reminds me of the zucchini and goat cheese pizza I made a while ago. Mmmm.
Zucchini Bruschetta Recipe
Serves: 4-5
1 large zucchini or two medium ones if you want a mix of colours, diced into small cubes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
Few sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
1 baguette, sliced
3-4 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter to brush on the bread
Parmesan cheese, to serve
- On a medium flame, heat a pan and add olive oil and garlic followed by thyme. Add the zucchini when the oil gets fragrant. Cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly browned in spots. Do not cook for too long, else it might get too soft and mushy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In the meantime, brush the sliced baguette with a little olive oil or butter and toast it in a hot cast iron skillet or a ridged pan until crisp on both sides. Lay it on a platter.
- Spoon the zucchini over the toasted bread and grate some parmesan cheese over it. Dig in!
Like this post? Subscribe or Share it!
November 29, 2009
in sides
I made these crazy delicious mushrooms last week.
Has a familiar ring to it? Even for my previous post (the
marinated eggplants), it took me a whole week to get to posting the recipe.
Why, you ask? Of late I’m enjoying a little more of cooking over baking. Of late, I’m not taking too many photos of what I’m making, especially those of ingredients and in-between stages. Of late, it’s been more about cooking or baking on a whim rather than for blogging and I’m kinda enjoying it. But, one thing isn’t so much fun is posting something a week later. I don’t know why but it just isn’t as exciting as posting it on the same day or the next. Just so that I kick back into the blogging mood, I’m going to make sure December is a good month on
The Purple Foodie. I’ve been thinking of some seriously decadent recipes to make you fat and happy this holiday season.
But you shouldn’t let my blogging lull come between you and these crazy delicious (very worth the repetition) mushrooms. So, when I had a pound of mushrooms waiting to be consumed, I leafed through the pages of some of my favourite books and voilà! I found inspiration in
Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.
When I saw sage, garlic and butter in the photo of the roasted butternut squash, I was convinced about trying this out with mushrooms. This recipe is very simple to make and I think the addition of bacon to this is just genius. And any recipe that uses a whole head of garlic is good in my books.
Mushrooms with Bacon and Sage
1 lb / 450g button mushrooms
1 head of garlic, separated and the ends chopped off, but not peeled
2 oz. / 60g bacon, chopped
12-16 sage leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
- Clean the mushrooms with a tissue paper or a damp cloth and chop them into quarters.
- Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and scatter garlic, sage leaves and bacon bits all over the sheet. Then drizzle with olive oil and dot with the 1 tbsp butter. Sprinkle the salt/pepper.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the mushrooms have browned. Also, the bacon fragrance has enveloped the house. (*big grin*)
- Serve in a plate. Dig in!
Like this post? Subscribe or Share it!
