We affectionately call these “Pepins.” Jacques Pepin has shared many wonderful recipes with the world, but these potatoes were a gift to us all. Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes braised in buttery chicken broth, then gently ‘smashed’ and allowed to caramelize in the pan.
We celebrated Mardi Gras with a Fat Tuesday Party at the office today. Did you know Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” in French? Yep. Here are a few more Mardi Gras Fun Facts that I learned today.
Fish Chowder served in Bread Bowls. <—- click here for Bread Bowl recipe.
I approached the seafood counter at Whole Foods without a plan. Which is often how it goes. I’m looking for the fish to speak to me. Someone to stand out in the crowd. On this day, the cod did more than speak….they sang to me.
Cod & Potatoes Poached in Milk {atop a Scotch Egg Sauce}.
The day started with a ‘fresh as can be’ 1 1/2 lb. cod fillet. No plan for it, just a piece of fish too good to pass up. What I was craving, quickly became my motivation for making this dish. What I was craving, would be made from the leftovers. I set out on a mission to find the right recipe, that the next day, would beg to be turned into…Fish Chowder. This brilliant non-plan to accommodate my craving, almost went very wrong.
From THE moment I tasted these Parmesan Herb Roasted Potatoes I knew. I knew we would become very close. These potatoes and I. The Parmesan cheese creates a crispy coating on the tender well seasoned potatoes. Heavenly really.
Blackened Chicken Pot Pie. Because sometimes you need to step outside your comfort zone.
I offered two choices for dinner. Would you like Pasta with Blackened Chicken or Chicken Pot Pie? The response, Yes. And the Blackened Chicken Pot Pie was born.
Lemony Thyme is certainly a favorite herb around here, but her sister Sage is a close second. I love this recipe from Nigella Lawson for Sage and Onion Roasted Chicken & Sausage. We’ve lightly adapted it to use boneless chicken breasts, turkey sausages, and we include potatoes to round out the dish.
I received a text message yesterday…four magic words “I’ve got dinner covered.” Maple-Brined Grilled Pork Chops, spinach salad, and a baked potato to share. All from Fridge/Pantry ingredients. I was so inspired that I took our one baking potato and showed it some love. Rosemary, Parmesan & Paprika Oil Roasted Potatoes.
We’re in the middle of another Eat Out of the Fridge/Pantry Week at our house. If this is the first time you’ve heardme use that phrase, here is a simple explanation of how we arrived at this point. Back to back weeks of recipe creating, holiday cooking, and reckless abandon for anything that resembled sensible eating. When you open the refrigerator and you can’t tell if the light is on because the open jars, leftover containers, and mystery packages are piled so high there’s no light coming through…in the words of native Georgian Jeff Foxworthy….Here’s your sign. And when your pantry resembles a teenage girl’s closet right after she ‘cleaned’ her room; you protect your head as you slowly open the doors for fear of flying debris…Here’s your sign. So if you’ve got that going on at your house…Stay away from the grocery store and Eat Out of the Fridge/Pantry for a week.
Scrub your potato, cut into 1/4″ thick slices, use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the centers, toss it all in a zip top bag with some grated Parmesan cheese, minced fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, and wonderful Paprika Oil (any olive oil would work fine).
Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper and spread potatoes in a single layer. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, turn over and cook another 5-7 minutes or until potatoes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
The best part of oven roasted potatoes are edges, so why not maximize the goodness. You are sure to get a smile when you set a plate of these Rosemary, Parmesan & Paprika Oil Roasted Potatoes in front of your loved ones :)
1sprig of fresh rosemaryminced fine (about 1/2 tsp.)
sea salt & freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice potatoes about 1/4″ thick, use cookie cutter to cut shapes in center.
Combine potatoes, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper in a zip top bag and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, turn once and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until potatoes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
As kids growing up, when we went out to a restaurant, what we ordered was routine (thank goodness I outgrew that phase). Even though Mom had it memorized and could have easily ordered for us, from as early as I can remember she insisted we order our own meal (and take our elbows off the table). The server would take our drink order first, mine was always Ginger Ale. Then they’d come back and take our meal order, mine was always a Grilled Cheese Sandwich and a cup of Clam Chowder. Always. When you grow up in New England, it’s not a matter of whether Clam Chowder is the ‘soup of the day’….it will always be on the menu.