le patate sabbiose
Under-roasted potatoes are sad, but you can often make them the star of the meal, with just twenty minutes more in the oven. And adding breadcrumbs.
You want toasty brown, crunchy little nuggets of potato, sweet with olive oil and herbs, the kind of dish that makes you call it your ‘home’ rather than just your ‘house’. Also, think beyond rosemary. Fresh sage is great, but try adding it at the beginning, the middle or even the end, of the cooking time.
And a little parsley and red chili at the end makes you look like a great cook, when all you did was throw some herbs at it. And stack them tall, too. Everyone loves that.
Ingredients
Potatoes, cut into long and even wedges. Skins on or off (we do off) Salt Olive oil Dry finely ground breadcrumbs Fresh herbs Parsley Chilli pepper flakes
Directions
Preheat the oven as hot as it goes.
Be certain that the pieces are more or less even in size, no bigger than your thumb. And consider using two roasting trays rather than just one, as you want them crunchy.
Toss with lots of salt, liberal amounts of olive oil, lots of bread crumbs (don’t worry about amounts, as it’s self-limiting, any excess simply won’t stick.
Place in single layer in baking tray
Flip each potato after 30 minutes or so
At 45 minutes, depending on how you cut them, start checking them. You want crunchy bits, browned bits, bits that beg to be crunched on, the steam causing you to bite into them with your mouth open. If you can resist burning your mouth on them, they are probably not roasted enough.
Check for salt; toss with the herbs and lots of parsley, some chili flakes, maybe even a shot of raw oil. Place on a nice plate and marvel how simple the dish, yet ultimately profoundly satisfying to all of us.
Wine: A dry white. Bubbles work well, but anything crisp and steely would be ideal.
