It’s just a fact. If you don’t love these, it’s over between us. The dialogue will stop. Okay, it’s been sort of one-sided up until now anyway, but these potatoes are defining. They are comforting. They are easy. I’ve been cooking them for years. Believe me, they taste fabulous. You will thank me later.
I can eat these potatoes three times a day. But they are meant for dinner. Still, I bring this up because the potato is one of the few vegetables that people feel comfortable with in the early morning hours. Most people hear the word eggplant and see the sunrise and feel the need to go back to bed. Which is to say, you can make these potatoes for dinner and reheat them in the morning in a skillet with your scrambled eggs and we have what is known as a slice of heaven. This is not something most people want to do with eggplant parm.
Which leads me to mustard. An underachiever. In so many ways.
Now we know, from experience, that the potato is simply a vehicle for a sauce, an oil, or a spice.
This recipe takes advantage of all three propositions.
So here’s what you do:
Use a potato and a half per person. I’m going to say there are four of you. So I’m going to say you have six potatoes (this is starting to sound like a math problem).
Cut up the POTATOES into pieces the size of Hersey’s kisses, meaning odd shapes, the size of chunky coins. There must be a better way to describe that. I can’t think of how at the moment.
Now use EQUAL PARTS MUSTARD and EQUAL PARTS OLIVE OIL to coat the potato chunks. I like to use Dijon mustard, or Gulden’s spicy hot mustard. I can’t tell you how much because this is dependant on your potato situation. But I can tell you that you are going to coat your potatoes in this oily mustard bath and you will probably have about one third of a cup of mustard, and one third of a cup of olive oil. To this brightly colored mixture, shake in a few drops of Tabasco sauce (or not if you’re already using the spicy mustard), and then spread your potatoes on a cookie sheet (I put tin-foil down first).
Sprinkle with a dash of pepper, and BAKE IN A HOT OVEN (400 degrees), checking after fifteen minutes often. I like my potatoes on the crispy side.
Remove when they are done to your liking, and serve with a roasted chicken, a fresh tossed salad, and a glass of nice wine. Or with a grilled hamburger, a fruit salad and a beer. Or with some lamb chops, broccoli, and cheese bread. You get the picture….
Pure comfort.
Holly Goldberg Sloan is a writer/director of family films. She wrote "Angels in the Outfield,", "Made in America", "The Big Green", "The Crocodile Hunter Movie" and the soon to be finished "Heidi 4 Paws". Cooking, she believes, is like writing. It's good to start with a solid plan, and then be willing to go with the flow.