This dish includes a secret ingredient. Is it the purple potatoes? Nope. It's the shallots, which after an hour in the stove become crispy and delicious. In fact, the original recipe, published in Every Day Food, called for russet potatoes, and, I have to admit, I think this dish would have been better served by russets, a solid standby, instead of these pretty peruvians. Unfortunately, these waxy potatoes didn't get as crispy as I wanted. The shallots, however, put the C in crispy and the D in delicious. So much so that I am having day dreams about where else I could use them. To top off soup? Certainly. Salads? definitely. Ice Cream? Probably not.
If these potatoes could sing, they would belt out this song.
Crispy Roasted Potatoes
From Everyday Food
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled (I used waxy peruvians; don't)
4 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise
Kosher salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
8 sprigs thyme
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush bottom of a round 9-inch baking dish with some butter mixture. With a sharp knife or mandoline, slice potatoes very thinly crosswise. (Observe: mine were a little too thick).
Arrange potato slices vertically in dish. Wedge shallots throughout. Sprinkle with salt and red-pepper flakes (if using); brush with remaining butter mixture. Bake 1 1/4 hours. Add thyme and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more.
