The other night at dinner, a friend said, ”Charlie must be Belgian!” He was referring to my love of potatoes. Belgians consume more potatoes than any other Europeans, including the Irish. At our house, invariably I find a way to incorporate a potato dish into just about every meal.
I must admit, people love my potatoes. I have a secret that enables me to prepare roasted and sauteed potatoes that never fail to have a crunchy, caramelized surface that makes them irresistible. For this reason, I cook at least half-again as many potatoes as normally would be served. Rarely are there leftovers.
The secret of preparing crispy potatoes is simple and not that different from preparing eggplant. I place raw, cut potatoes of any shape into a bowl and lightly salt them before cooking. I let them sit for about 15 minutes to extract as much moisture as possible before I towel-dry the potatoes and cook them over medium heat.
I have noticed that the browning process begins very quickly, and less heat is needed throughout the entire cooking. Potatoes cooked in this manner are crisp and an appealing golden brown.
The results are so good that I wanted a technical explanation. I looked up the browning of foods in Harold McGee`s ”On Food and Cooking,” an indispensable study of chemistry in the kitchen. Nothing specifically linked the salt to the browning process. So I called McGee and shared my secret with him, and we`ve worked out this explanation:
Potatoes do not begin to brown until their surface temperature reaches 310 degrees. Because potatoes are largely made up of water and the temperature of water cannot rise above its boiling point of 212 degrees Fahrenheit, no browning can take place until the water is removed. A plain potato thrown into a buttered or oiled pan will steam and simmer before it begins to brown as the surface moisture evaporates from the potato. Salt draws out the liquid, and, once in a hot pan, the starchy potato membrane begins to brown rapidly.
As a bonus, little oil is absorbed by the potato because its surface has been sealed quickly. The interior of the cooked potato stays fluffy and moist but not greasy.
I have been sharing my salting secret with friends and fellow cooks, whose first concern is that the finished dish will be oversalted. This is not the case. All of the salt on the potato is washed away as the water is drawn from the potato. Towel-drying before cooking removes the last bit of salt and water. I often find that the potatoes need additional seasoning during the cooking to be just right.
The recipes included here are the perfect accompaniment to roast chicken, grilled meat and game and sauteed fish. When cut and served as ”pan French fries,” the results are delicious and relatively economical, using a fraction of the oil needed for deep-fat frying.
The savory galette (a flat cake) can be jazzed up with the addition of julienned leeks or shallots, or shards of smoked salmon. Like rosti (shredded crisp potatoes) in alpine Switzerland, this galette can be served with crisp, cured lean bacon, a fried egg and a green salad for a hearty skiers` lunch.
This pre-salting technique is the secret behind a more ambitious preparation. During a visit with chef Daniel Boulud at LeCirque restaurant in New York, I observed his chefs preparing thinly sliced Idaho potatoes for a potato crust on baked fish. They lightly salted the potatoes 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding with the dish. As in my recipe, the salting draws the liquid out of the potatoes, making them more pliable.
Once you have mastered the technique, which won`t take long, let your imagination run wild. It is so simple, you may never cook potatoes any other way again.
ROSEMARY ROASTED POTATOES
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: About 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
These potatoes are cut into long wedges in a manner found commonly in Italy. The addition of fresh rosemary and chopped shallots at the end of the cooking perfumes this dish without burning these delicate seasonings.
2 pounds unpeeled potatoes
4 level teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons each: extra virgin olive oil, butter
6 sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
3 shallots chopped or 3 cloves garlic chopped
1. Peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes horizontally into 6 long wedges. Sprinkle the potatoes with the salt and place in a small bowl. Let stand 10 minutes, then towel-dry potatoes. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat an oven-proof non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and the olive oil in the pan. Add the potatoes and cook about 15 minutes, until potatoes begin to brown, stirring several times. Add the rosemary and chopped shallots or garlic.
3. Transfer to oven and bake until potatoes are crisp, golden and cooked throughout, about 10 to 15 minutes. Potatoes may be kept warm in a 200-degree oven for up to 1 hour before serving.
OVEN ”FRENCH FRIES”
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: About 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
The beauty of this dish is that it uses a fraction of the oil normally used for deep-fried potatoes, making it a cheaper and lighter version of our favorite.
2 pounds potatoes, peeled
4 level teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons each: extra-virgin olive oil, butter
1. Cut potatoes into thin sticks. Season potatoes with salt and place in small bowl. Let stand 10 minutes, then towel-dry potatoes. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat oven-proof non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and olive oil in pan. Add potatoes and cook about 10 minutes, until they begin to brown.
3. Transfer to oven and bake until potatoes are crisp, golden and cooked throughout, about 10 to 15 minutes. Potatoes may be kept warm in a 200- degree over for up to 1 hour before serving.
POTATO CAKE
(GALETTE DE POMME DE TERRE)
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
2 pounds potatoes, peeled
4 level teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons each: extra-virgin olive oil, butter
1 leek, cut into thin rings, optional
3 tablespoons minced shallots, optional
1. Cut the potatoes into thin julienne strips by hand or using a mandolin cutter. Season the potatoes with the salt. Let stand 10 minutes in a colander. Towel dry thoroughly before cooking.
2. Heat an 11-inch non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon each of the butter and oil in the pan. Add potatoes, leeks and shallots, if using; press down to form an even, flat galette (cake).
3. Cook potatoes until light brown, about 10 minutes. Slide galette onto flat plate, then flip it back into pan to cook it on other side. Cut remaining butter into 4 pieces and melt down sides of pan to moisten potato. Continue cooking to brown other side, 10 to 15 minutes. –
