Spicy Potatoes

Over time, I've blogged most of the dishes in regular rotation in our household, including such favorites as adobo chicken, roasted mushrooms, and grilled cutlets. Roasted potatoes have been a core part of my repertoire almost since I started cooking, which was reflected in a very early post. Several years ago, I started adding paprika to them. This version, which Ariel dubbed "spicy potatoes," quickly became a staple. I even made small jars of the spice mix (along with my rib rub) to give to guests at our wedding. 

For years, I've made these potatoes by mixing all the ingredients together and throwing them in the oven. If you're in a rush, that works perfectly fine. Recently, though, I've been experimenting with parboiling them first. This idea was inspired by Kenji's recipe, as well as a video by Adam Ragusea. Although this takes a lot longer, the result is a soft interior with a crispy crust. We usually serve them with a mix of Kewpie mayo and ketchup. Although we call them "spicy potatoes," they aren't actually spicy in the sense of heat, just that they use spices. Try a little cayenne pepper, or some sriracha mixed into the sauce, if you like.

Roasted potatoes are a versatile side dish with a great result-to-effort ratio. With the long shelf life of potatoes, they are also excellent pandemic cuisine. We enjoyed these as part of our anniversary dinner, along with steak au poivre. Steak frites is a classic for a reason, and these potatoes can easily substitute for fries while be much easier and less messy to make.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. gold potatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 2 tsp. salt (more to taste)

Instructions

Peel the potatoes (or don't, it's up to you). Slice each potato in half along the longer axis, then cut into long slices. With small potatoes, 3-4 slices per half is about right, but more may be needed for larger potatoes.

Place the potato slices in a saucepan. Fill with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes can be pierced with a fork. While the potatoes cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Drain and transfer to a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkle the herbs and spices. Toss with hands to evenly coat the potatoes.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until crisped to taste, about 45-60 minutes. Check every 15 minutes to toss with a spatula. When done, transfer to a serving dish and salt to taste.