BURNT HOME FRIES
Boiled yellow potatoes, pan-fried with an herb-spice mix in a light sesame seed oil till crusted and burnt on most surfaces with tender centers. Plus SESAME BARBECUE HOME FRIES made from leftover Burnt Fries, or you may want to do the barbecue from the beginning. One is a breakfast dish, the other a small plate or appetizer. Restaurants don’t always have to make the same Home Fries all the time. Mix it up now and then!
Serves 4
A-FS-C Clipboard: BURNT HOME FRIES need to be eaten after cooked. You can make the potatoes ahead of time, but bring to room temperature before pan-frying them. However, if you have leftover home fries see the end of this recipe for a totally delicious recommendation.
2 lbs. yellow potatoes – wash, place in pot of salted water with 4 inches head space, bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook till fork-tender, drain – when cool enough to handle, peel, then cut into 3/4 inch cubes or bite size
2 T. light sesame oil
1 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. dried basil
salt, and fresh grind pepper to taste
In extra large skillet, over medium-high heat, melt sesame oil.
When skillet is very hot, roll the pan to completely cover the inside bottom with oil.
Place all the potatoes in at once and immediately stir to coat with the oil.
Disperse the potatoes evenly around the pan.
Sprinkle salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and dried basil evenly over potatoes. Stir to evenly coat with the spice-herb mix. Expect some breakage of the potatoes.
Flatten the potatoes evenly in the pan and allow to cook about 5 minutes.
Using a pancake turner, slide under the potatoes, scraping the pan as go, to loosen the crust from the pan, then flip gently over like you would a pancake, exposing the crusted side. Do this around the pan till all potatoes are flipped.
Now, flatten the potatoes again, cook 5 minutes, then flip again in the same way.
- You’ll see what appears like smoke rising from the pan, but it’s really more steam from the potatoes than smoke.
Repeat till you have as much crusted burnt part as you want.
Remove from heat and serve.
I like home fries with applesauce. Use ketchup, barbecue sauce, or a combination of mustard and ketchup or mustard and barbecue sauce or tartar sauce. Add a little Daiya Blue Cheese Dressing for an extra sparkle.
Variation: What to do with leftover home fries: SESAME BARBECUE HOME FRIES
Leftover potatoes become hard in the refrigerator. Home Fries do too.
In skillet, over medium heat, melt 1-2 Tablespoons sesame oil till hot.
Add all home fries to skillet and stir to coat with oil.
When they’re really hot, add a couple Tablespoons water in the center of the skillet, and immediately cover skillet to steam the potatoes till soft.
Remove cover and saute, stirring around the pan to evaporate any water remaining.
Now add about 1/3 cup barbecue sauce of your choice to the pan plus add about another 2 Tablespoons water. Stir to evenly coat and finish the saute when you reach the desired moisture for you. Not too dry, not too wet is best for these potatoes.
- A homemade sauce is at the end of this recipe.
Transfer to platter, flatten them out a bit. Now sprinkle with a few white and black sesame seeds.
Drizzle with a little sesame oil.
Sprinkle with fresh grind black pepper.
Now you’ve developed an entirely different dish: soft potatoes absent the crunch, but still maintaining the smoky char from the original batch. And now they’re barbecued!
If you want to make the barbecued version from the start, fry the potatoes burnt as instructed in the beginning, then follow the instructions for the leftover home fries.
Notes: To achieve the crust we’re looking for, always begin with cooked potatoes at room temperature.
MAPLE MUSTARD KETCHUP SAUCE Makes 1-1/3 cups
1/2 c. prepared yellow mustard
1/4 c. Grade A maple syrup
1/2 c. ketchup
2 t. jarred minced garlic
1 t. liquid smoke
1 t. Worcestershire sauce – I used PAMPA brand
salt and pepper to taste
2 t. light brown sugar or to taste
In medium bowl place mustard and maple syrup. Whisk well till completely incorporated.
Add remaining ingredients, whisking after each addition.
- Maple syrup mixes easier with mustard and ketchup if used at room temperature.
- It also mixes easier in a small amount of product, thus the reason we whisk it thoroughly with the mustard before adding remaining ingredients.
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