Potatoes for St. Patrick's Day
mashed, roasted and fried -- the trifecta of potato recipes!
Hello Foodie Friends!! Welcome back to another newsletter!
This is Lisa, the US half of Foodies Across the Pond — I’m off in Colorado visiting my son for a few days! I hope you have fun plans for the weekend, too!
Let’s dig in……and talk potatoes!
It’s seems a very fitting topic with St. Patrick’s Day coming up on Monday. Have you picked out your green outfit and started brining your corned beef yet? Or maybe you plan on meeting friends for a green beer at your local pub?
Speaking of pubs, can I just say I wish pubs were more of a thing here in the US.
When I visited Jane we had dinner at the cutest neighborhood pub! You could tell the locals, because there was a massive gathering right when you walked through the doors. They were laughing in that familiar way old friends laugh when they’re together.
There were a few dogs lazying about under the tables, hoping for scraps. We ordered our drinks at the bar, then took a table in a back corner near the fireplace. It was like taking a step back in history…..the tables were worn, the wooden floors creaked and every corner was filled with the kind of charm only found in a pub across the pond.
In the US, St. Patrick’s Day is a pretty big deal, especially in Boston, NYC and Chicago. Chicago even goes so far as dying the Chicago River green.
When my daughter was on her semester abroad, she had big plans of spending St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin…..until she learned that Dublin gets completely overrun by American tourists. So funny!!
My husband and I both have Irish roots, and we’ve always leaned in to all things St. Patrick’s Day. We’d build leprechaun traps with our kids when they were little, scatter chocolate gold coins throughout the house, dye milk and pancakes green and, yes, we’d always wear green!
So, in the spirit of leprechauns, shamrocks and all things green, here are three incredibly delicious potato recipes! Don’t forget to tell us in the comments which recipe is your favorite!
Until next Friday, Foodie Friends!
xo
Lisa & Jane
Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
After years of making mashed potatoes I’ve realized 4 things:
Cooking them in cream adds a richness to their flavor that’s absolutely irresistable!
A ricer or food mill really does make a difference. Both create incredibly light and fluffy mashed potatoes, so I highly encourage you ditch your hand masher.
There is no such thing as adding too much butter. Really. I’m not joking. For the best flavor use high quality unsalted butter (I’m a big fan of European butter because of the higher fat content).
Yukon gold potatoes have a buttery texture and flavor which is why I prefer them to russet potatoes. Russets can result in a light and fluffy mashed potato, but the don’t have much of a natural flavor.
Ingredients
4 pounds Yukon potatoes (the golden ones), peeled and cut into quarters
1 bay leaf
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme, optional
1 clove garlic, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heavy cream (I always buy the 32 ounce size — you won't use all of it, but there will be extra to use in other recipes)
1 stick unsalted butter (use European for extra creaminess)
Helpful kitchen tools
cheesecloth or tea infuser
ricer
Directions
THE DAY BEFORE:
**If you want to get a head start — peel and cut your potatoes the day before. Place them a large bowl, cover with water and store in your fridge. This will prevent them from browning. Before cooking, drain them in a colander placed in your sink, give them a quick rinse and then place them in a large pot.**
Place potatoes in large pot.
In a cheesecloth or tea infuser, place the bay leaf, garlic, rosemary and thyme. If you don't have either, add the aromatics directly to the pot with the potatoes.
Cover the potatoes with the cream. You want the cream to just barely cover the potatoes.
To prevent the cream from overflowing, don't cover the pot.
Cook over medium heat, at a gentle simmer (just a few bubbles here and there), until potatoes are cooked through. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
BE SURE YOU COOK AT A GENTLE SIMMER AND NOT A BOIL. IF THE CREAM BOILS IT'S LIKELY TO OVERFLOW AND CREATE A HUGE MESS.
Place a colander over a bowl in your sink. DON'T FORGET TO PUT A BOWL UNDER THE COLANDER TO CATCH THE CREAM.
When potatoes are cooked, carefully drain them in the colander.
Remove the cheesecloth or tea infuser. If you didn't use a tea infuser or cheesecloth, carefully remove the garlic and rosemary sprigs. Don't worry about removing the thyme (if you used it)- – the leaves are so small they will incorporate just fine into the mashed potatoes.
Using a ricer, rice the potatoes and put them back in their original pot.
**I usually place the ricer in the large pot and use a large spoon to transfer spoonfuls of potatoes from colander to ricer. You will need to do this several times, but it's SO worth it to get gorgeous fluffy mashed potatoes.**
Take the flavored cream and add it back to the pot with the potatoes about 1/2 cup at a time.
Stir in butter, 2 tablespoons at a time.
Keep adding cream and butter, stirring over low heat, until the potatoes are the consistency you like.
You WILL have extra cream. Save it to use when reheating the potatoes the next day.
Serve immediately, or store in your fridge.
Lemon Herb Roasted Potatoes
Ghee is what helps create incredibly crispy roasted potatoes. Because the milk fats have been removed it has a higher smoke point (less risk of burning your potatoes) and a rich, nutty flavor.
Ingredients
4-6 red potatoes, washed and cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 tablespoons Ghee
Juice of 1 lemon, divided (you may only need the juice of 1/2 lemon)
1/3 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped (Italian parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary, chives – whatever combination you like – the more, the better!)
2 tablespoons capers
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Directions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. The secret to crispy AF potatoes is cooking them on high heat.
When your oven is ready, add the ghee to a rimmed baking sheet. Place it in the heated oven for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the ghee melts.
Remove baking sheet, place on a heat proof surface (I use my stove because it's easy), and carefully add the potatoes.
Drizzle potatoes with about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
Roast for about 10 minutes, then, use a spatula to flip them over. If they don't flip easily, give them another 2-3 minutes in the oven.
Roasting time depends on how hot your oven is. My oven is REALLY hot, so my potatoes reach optimum crispiness in about 20 minutes. That means they're a beautiful caramel shade of brown on all sides.
Once your potatoes are done, remove from oven and add them to a large bowl.
Add the juice of 1/2 lemon, all the herbs, capers and a generous drizzling of olive oil (about 1 -2 tablespoons). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Toss to combine.
Let the potatoes sit for a few minutes, and then taste to see if you need to adjust the seasonings.
If it's too tangy, add more olive oil. If it's not tangy enough, add a bit more lemon juice.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Crispy Baked Wedge Fries with Rosemary
I have a slight obsession with tajin — it’s one of my favorite seasonings. It’s the perfect combination of spice and citrus. It’s made with chili peppers, lime and salt and adds a zesty spice to roasted vegetables, meats, and fries. You can find it in the Mexican section of your market, local Mexican market or on Amazon (here’s a link).
Ingredients
5 Russet potatoes or Yukon gold
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 teaspoons tajin seasoning
Salt and Pepper
Chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Directions
Thanks so much for stopping by!! I hope you love this recipe! If you have questions, scroll on up for all the tips and suggestions! Still have questions, drop a comment and I’ll be happy to answer them! Happy Cooking!
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Peel potatoes and cut potatoes into 1/2″ wedges. For a more rustic fry, leave the skin on.
Place potatoes in a large bowl and fill with cold water. Let potatoes sit for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. If you’re making them a day ahead, cover and store in a refrigerator.
Set a colander in your sink, and drain the potatoes. Pat them dry with paper towels before seasoning.
Spread potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, rosemary, and tajin.
Bake for a total of about 30-45 minutes. Toss them every 15 minutes until potatoes are golden brown on all sides. Keep an eye on the potatoes, because, depending on how thick you cut them, they could take longer or shorter to get crispy.
Use a spatula to remove potatoes from the baking sheet and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb some of the oil.
Let cool for about 5 minutes and serve while hot!