roast potatoes
A while back I was at my Dear Friend Masha's house, trying out a recipe for ginger chicken soup. The soup was incredible, and as we ate I said I would definitely be making this recipe again. Masha giggled at me, and said “You always say that about every recipe you try!”
It's not untrue. I have tried many recipes that I would love to make again, and yes, to be fair, most of them I have not yet gotten around to repeating. But! These potatoes! Are different. I first tried this recipe back in February, and since then I have made these at least four times. Possibly more. I've legitimately lost count because I basically make these all the time. They have passed that magic threshold from Recipe I Tried Once into the coveted inner circle of the Frequent Rotation. You know, the Go-To, Back Pocket Recipes. The recipes you no longer have to look at to cook perfectly. I've tweaked it a bit, streamlined the steps-- even tried a variation that turned out just as delicious. So there Masha! Sometimes I actually do make recipes again and again. In your face. (I love you!)
In short, you must try these potatoes. They are so easy, so good. Perfect to round out any meal and great as leftovers.
roast potatoes with preserved lemon
adapted from Diana Henry's aptly named cookbook, Simple.
2 lbs baby potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
½ teaspoon chili flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced
about 20 mint leaves
Preheat the oven to 400.
Put the potatoes onto a roasting pan or sheet pan, halving any that are particularly large. Toss with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. You are going to roast the potatoes for a total of 30 minutes, making additions half way through and again 5 minutes before they're done. So, pop the potatoes in the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes. While the potatoes cook, scoop the flesh out of the preserved lemon and thinly slice the peel. When the timer goes off, add the chili flakes to the potatoes and give the pan a good shake. Put them back in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. When it goes off, add the garlic and give the pan another good shake. Put the potatoes back in for five more minutes. Pull the potatoes out of the oven, add the preserved lemon, and tear the mint leaves into the pan. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Variation: Instead of preserved lemon and mint, try adding the finely grated zest of one lime and a handful of cilantro. A pinch of cumin for extra credit.
February! Remember February? Ok, so it's been a while. Here is a peak into what I was up to way back then. From upper left to lower right:
An apple pie topped with tiny roasted apples! Baby cabbages at the Alemany Farmer's Market. Roast potatoes with preserved lemon. Salad with farmer's market veggies. Chicken soup with ginger, from Short Stack's Ginger edition by Mindy Fox. Preserved Lemons. Alex posing in front of Night+Market, where we had incredible Thai food with my brother Noel. Purple carrots at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market. Another salad featuring my favorite vegetable- watermelon radishes!
