Grilled Potato Skins

You Will Need


2 large baking potatoes
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 green onions, chopped
Sour cream



What to Do


1. Cut each potato lengthwise into four wedges. Cut away the white portion, leaving 1/4 inch on the potato skins. Place skins on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Combine the butter, rosemary, salt and pepper; brush over both sides of potato skins.

2. Grill potatoes, skin side up, uncovered, over direct medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn potatoes and position over indirect heat; grill 2 minutes longer. Top with cheese. Cover and grill 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with bacon and onions. Serve with sour cream.

Onion Potato Gratin

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
3/4 pound onions, thinly sliced
1 cup (packed) grated Gruyere cheese (about 4 oz)
8 Tbsp (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 oz)
2/3 cup whipping cream

Direction

• Preheat oven to 400°F (unless preparing in advance).
• Combine Yukon Gold potatoes and sliced onions in heavy large saucepan. 
• Add enough water to cover. 
• Bring water to boil. 
• Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 3 minutes. 
• Drain potato onion mixture well.
• Arrange half of potato-onion mixture in 11x7 inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
• Sprinkle mixture with 1/3 cup Gruyere cheese and then 2 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese.
• Arrange remaining potato-onion mixture atop cheeses. 
• Pour cream over. 
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
• Sprinkle the remaining 2/3 cup of Gruyere and 6 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese.
•  

(Can be prepared 8 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)

• Bake gratin uncovered in 400°F oven until cream thickens, about 25 minutes. 
• Remove from oven. 
• Preheat broiler. 
• Broil gratin until top is golden, about 2 minutes.

 

Scalloped Potatoes

. .

Ingredients

3 Tbsp butter
2 lbs (about 4 medium sized) Russet potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 large yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives (optional)
2 thick slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 1/2 cups grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
2 1/2 cups to 3 cups of half-and-half (half milk, half cream)
Salt and pepper

Method

• Preheat oven to 350°F. 
• Butter a large casserole dish with 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter.  
• Layer the bottom of the casserole dish with 1/3 of the potato slices. 
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
• Layer on 1/2 of the sliced onions and 1/2 cup of the Swiss cheese. 
• Layer on 1/2 of the bacon, 1/2 of the parsley and chives. 
• Sprinkle with a little Parmesan.
• Repeat by layering on 1/3 of the potato slices, sprinkle again with salt and pepper. 
• Layer on the remaining sliced onions, 1/2 cup of the Swiss cheese, the remaining bacon, parsley and chives. 
• Sprinkle with a little Parmesan.
• Top the casserole with the remaining potato slices. 
• Add the half and half. 
• Dot the potatoes with the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter.
• Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for one hour. 
• After an hour, remove from the oven, remove the foil, sprinkle on the remaining Swiss and Parmesan cheese. 
• Return to the oven for an additional 30-40 minutes. 
• When done, the potatoes should be tender, but not mushy, and the liquid should be mostly absorbed.

**Tip** For a faster cooking time, you can parboil the sliced potatoes for 8 minutes first, patting them dry, before layering them in the casserole pan. In this case the total oven cooking time is about 35-45 minutes.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered length-wise
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 Tbsp heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp milk
• Salt and Pepper
• A potato masher
  

Directions

• Put potatoes into a saucepan. 
• Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. 
• Add water until potatoes are covered. 
• Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes, or until done - a fork can easily be poked through them.
• Warm cream and melt butter, together, either in microwave or in a pan on the stove. 
• Drain water from potatoes. 
• Put hot potatoes into a bowl. 
• Add cream and melted butter. 
• Use potato masher to mash potatoes until well mashed. 
• Use a strong spoon to beat further, adding milk to achieve the consistency you desire. (Do not over-beat or your potatoes will get gluey.) 
• Salt and pepper to taste.

 **Tip..Starchy potatoes, like russets, have high starch and low water. Starchy potatoes are great for baking and French fries, and good as mashed potatoes. When cooked in water, they disintegrate; when cooked by dry heat, they become crumbly and fluffy. All-purpose, or chef's potatoes, like Yukon Golds, have medium starch and medium water. All-purpose potatoes are great in stews, soups, mashed potatoes, or for roasting. When cooked, they are at once moist and fluffy: they keep most of their shape in soups and don't dry out when baked.

Pastelón de papas (Potato and beef casserole) **

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 tablespoon of parsley finely diced
• 1/2 lb. of ground beef
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 1 small onion diced into very small cubes
• 1 green pepper diced into very small cubes
• 1 pinch of black pepper
• 1 pinch of oregano
• 2 tablespoons of mashed garlic
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of evaporated milk
• Salt

Direction:


Before starting to cook: Butter up a 3-inch tall baking pan. Heat up the oven to 350 °F.

1. Season the meat with salt, pepper, onions, green pepper, and oregano. Or simply use Sofrito. In a shallow pan heat a tablespoon of oil. Add the ground beef and stir so it cooks evenly. Add two tablespoons of water and the tomato paste, Let simmer at medium heat. Adjust water when necessary. When the meat is ready let all the liquid evaporate, adjust salt to taste. Turn off the heat and reserve.
2. Mix the milk, butter, eggs, garlic, parsley and salt to taste, add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Put half of this mixture in the baking pan, cover with the meat and finally cover with the remaining potatoes. Bake until the top is light golden. Let cool down, take out of the mold, cover with the mozzarella and put in the oven until the cheese melts.

Campfire Potatoes

You Will Need


5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup chicken broth



What to Do


1. Place the potatoes and onion on a large piece of heavy-duty foil (about 20 inches x 20 inches); dot with butter.

2. Combine the cheese, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper; sprinkle over potatoes. Fold foil up around potatoes and add broth. Seal the edges of foil well.

3. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.


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Baked Potato Chips

Ingredients

* 4 russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and sliced diagonally 1/8 inch thick
* 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter, melted
* Coarse salt to taste

Method

Pat the potatoes dry between paper towels and arrange them in one layer in 2 buttered cookie sheets pans. Brush the potatoes with the butter, bake them in a preheated 500°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Sprinkle them with the salt.

Serves 4.

Herbed Potato Wedges

 

 

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 4 large baking potatoes, unpeeled
• 4 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Scrub the potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each half in thirds lengthwise. You'll have 6 long wedges from each potato. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together, making sure the potatoes are covered with oil. Spread the potatoes in a single layer with 1 cut-side down.
Bake the potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes, turning to the other cut side after 20 minutes. Bake until they are lightly browned, crisp outside, and tender inside. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Potatoe Crusted Halibut

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 thyme bundle
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lemon, zest removed from the lemon with a vegetable peeler in wide strips
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 3 Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
• 4 (6-ounce) Pacific halibut fillets
• Kosher salt

Directions

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the olive oil, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, lemon zest, crushed red pepper flakes and fennel seeds. Bring to a boil then turn the heat off and let it sit for at least 1 hour. (*Big tip: This can be done ahead and used for LOTS of different things.)
Cook's Note: In this case it is important to work quickly and to slice the potatoes for 1 halibut fillet at a time. We are NOT going to soak the potatoes in water, this will help them maintain their starch so they will stick to each other and to the fish, but could cause them to turn brown.
Using a mandolin, slice 1 potato extremely thin, (paper thin), in elongated rounds. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a clean, dry work surface. Arrange 3 potato slices in an overlapping vertical line pressing them together as you put them on the parchment. Repeat this process until you have a 4 by 6-inch overlapping potato rectangle that replicates fish scales. Brush the potato "scales" with the infused oil and sprinkle with salt. Season the halibut with salt. Lay the halibut fillet closer to 1 end of the potato rectangle than the other and then roll the fish up in the potato slices, using the parchment to help facilitate the rolling. Press to compact and really adhere the potatoes to the fish. Brush the outside of the potatoes with the infused oil to seal the potatoes and to prevent the potatoes from turning brown, this will also help make a nice tight "fish package". Reserve the fish in the refrigerator while preparing the remaining fillets. Refrigerate the fillets for at least 1 hour before cooking.


To cook the fish:


Add the infused olive oil to a large nonstick saute pan until the bottom is generously covered and bring the pan to a medium-high heat. Season the fish with salt and add to the pan. Cook the fish on both sides for 3 to 4 minutes frequently spooning the excess oil over the fish to "baste" it. The potatoes should be crispy golden brown and very well flavored and the fish will be succulent inside its crispy "scales".


Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell