Caramelized Vidalia Onion Mashed Potatoes

Slowly caramelized onions lend a touch of sweetness (and plenty of interest) to creamy mashed potatoes.

Note: You may prepare the potatoes up to two days in advance. Store them in the refrigerator and microwave them, covered, for about 8 minutes before serving. If they seem a little dry, add additional milk in 1/4 cup increments.

Special equipment: Potato masher

Ingredients

serves Serves 4 to 6, active time 20 minutes, total time 40 minutes

• 2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large, even chunks
• Kosher salt
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large Vidalia onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 ounces cream cheese

Procedures

1. Cover potatoes with salted water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer uncovered until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
   
2. Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan over low heat until melted. Add onions, cover, and cook, stirring periodically until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Remove cover, add sugar, season with salt and pepper and stir. Raise meat to medium-high and allow to caramelize, stirring often and adding water a tablespoon at a time if onions begin to burn, about 15 minutes longer
   
3. When potatoes are done cooking, drain in a colander and return to pan. Add remaining 5 tablespoons butter, milk, sour cream and cream cheese. Mash potatoes by hand using a potato masher, leaving some texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   
4. Fold in onions. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to two days and reheat in a covered heavy dish in the oven or on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently.

Tangy Slow Cooker Brisket With Potatoes and Sweet Peppers

Special equipment: Slow cooker

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 30 minutes, total time 10 hours

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Cracked black pepper
• 3 pound beef brisket
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 bell peppers, seeded and sliced
• 2 pounds small potatoes, such as fingerlings
• 2 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted, diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Procedures

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan until shimmering. Season brisket with salt and pepper and brown on both sides.
   
2. Transfer brisket to a slow cooker and add remaining ingredients. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours or until tender.
   
3. Remove brisket from slow cooker and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain. Place on a platter along with vegetables. Spoon sauce on top or place in a gravy boat to pass alongside.

Ultra-Crispy New Potatoes With Garlic, Herbs, and Lemon

Note: Duck fat, turkey fat, or chicken fat can be used in place of the canola oil.

Ingredients

serves Serves 8 to 10, active time 30 minutes, total time 1 1/2 hours

• 4 1/2 pounds red or yellow new potatoes, scrubbed clean, sliced in half
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil (see note above)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons slived chives
• 2 teaspoons zest from 1 lemon
• 3 medium cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Procedures

1. Adjust oven racks to lower and upper position and preheat oven to 500°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil and place in oven. Place potatoes in a large saucepot and cover with cold water by 1-inch. Add 2 tablespoons salt and vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until exteriors are tender, about 5 minutes. Potatoes should show a slight resistance when poked with a paring knife or a cake tester. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl.
   
2. Add 2 tablespoons oil to bowl with potatoes. Season with pepper and more salt to taste then toss until exteriors are slightly bashed up and coated in a thin layer of potato/oil paste. Spread remaining canola oil evenly over surfaces of hot foil-lined baking sheets, then divide potatoes evenly between them, using a thin spatula to arrange them cut-side down and using oven mitts or kitchen towels to maneuver the hot pans.
   
3. Transfer baking sheets to the oven and roast until the bottoms of the potatoes are crisp and golden brown and can be easily lifted from the foil, about 30 minutes total, swapping top the trays top for bottom and rotating them once half way through roasting. Using a thin metal spatula, loosen all of the potatoes from the pan and toss. Return to oven and continue roasting until pale golden brown all over, about 15 minutes longer. Add shallots to pans and toss to coat in oil. Return to oven and roast until potatoes and shallots are deep golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl.
   
4. Add parsley, chives, lemon zest, garlic, and olive oil to potatoes and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Lemon Roasted Potatoes

Suggested tweaks: You could take the idea of roasting potatoes on a bed of aromatics and run with it. Fennel would be a lovely addition or substitution for the onions (pair it with tarragon). Or try scallions and ginger for an entirely different take. Whatever you do, don't skimp on the butter.

Ingredients

serves Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish, active time 30 minutes, total time 1 hour and 20 minutes

• 2 pounds 3 ounces (1,000 grams) new potatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 small lemons, preferably Meyer
• Fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 grams) olive oil
• 2/3 cup (75 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon (1.5 grams) chopped fresh rosemary

Procedures

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (225°C).
   
2. Set a stovetop steamer over medium heat. Add the potatoes. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and steam the potatoes until tender when pierced with a cake tester, about 10 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, halve the onion through the root end so that there is a piece of core at the end of both halves holding the layers together. Cut off a small slice at one end of each lemon so that you just expose the inner fruit. Use a mandoline or sharp chef’s knife to thinly slice the onion and lemons, discarding the uncut end of the lemon, any seeds, and onion cores when you are done. Mix them together with your hands in a medium bowl and season with salt to taste.
   
4. Once the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a large plate to cool slightly and then use a paring knife to peel off the skins and discard. Cut each potato in half.
   
5. Put the olive oil in a heavy 9 × 13-inch (23 × 33 cm) roasting pan and rub it around the inside of the pan to coat it thoroughly. Layer the onions and lemons in the bottom of the dish. Lay the potatoes cut side down on top of them. Thinly slice the butter and lay one slice over each potato and scatter any extra over the top. Bake for 25 minutes. Rotate the dish and bake until the potatoes are a deep golden brown, about 10 more minutes.
   
6. Remove the dish from the oven and scatter the rosemary over the potatoes. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving so that the herb can permeate the dish. Serve from the roasting pan so the potatoes will remain crisp.

Walleye With Roasted Grapes and Fingerling Potatoes

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 30 mintues

• 1 pound small fingerling potatoes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 ounces tart red seedless grapes
• 4 walleye or other white fish fillets such as cod, haddock, or tilapia, about 6 ounces each
• 1 medium clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, half left whole, half thinly sliced

Procedures

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Add potatoes to a rimmed 12- by 18-inch baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Transfer sheet to oven and cook for 10 minutes.
   
2. Carefully remove sheet pan from oven, and use a pair of tongs to move the potatoes to one end. Drizzle a tablespoon of oil over the empty end, and then add the grapes and the walleye fillets skin-side down. Season each fish fillet with a pinch of salt and pepper, and then top with few slices of garlic and a couple slices of lemon. Drizzle remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the fish.
   
3. Return the sheet pan to the oven and cook until fish is fully cooked and potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
   
4. Divide the fish, grapes, and potatoes between four plates. Squeeze some juice from the uncut lemon half over each plate. Serve immediately.

Butter-Basted Bison Ribeye Steak with Crispy Potatoes

Ingredients

serves Serves 2, active time 30 minutes, total time 1 day

• 1 bone-in bison rib steak, 1 3/4 to 2 inches thick, about 1 to 1 1/4 pounds total
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound fingerling potatoes
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons vegetable, canola, or peanut oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed

Procedures

1. Season steak liberally on all sides with salt and pepper. Set on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and place in refrigerator uncovered overnight.
   
2. Meanwhile, place potatoes in a medium pot, cover with water, season with salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 10 minutes total. Meanwhile, remove leaves from 1 sprig of rosemary and 1 sprig of thyme and finely chop. Set aside. Drain potatoes and set aside to cool. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Potatoes can be cooked through this stage up to a day in advance and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
   
3. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Carefully add steak and cook, flipping frequently, until a pale golden brown crust starts to develop, about 4 minutes total.
   
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add 3 tablespoons butter, garlic, whole rosemary sprigs, and whole thyme sprigs to the skillet and continue to cook, flipping steak occasionally, and basting any light spots with foaming butter. To baste, tilt pan slightly so that butter collects by handle. Use a spoon to pick up butter and pour it over steak, aiming at light spots. Continue flipping and basting until an instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of tenderloin side registers 115 to 120°F for medium rare, or 125°F for medium, 6 to 8 minutes total. Immediately transfer steak to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and place herb sprigs and garlic on top. Allow steak to rest uncovered while you cook the potatoes.
   
5. Return skillet to medium-high heat and add remaining tablespoon butter. When foaming subsides, add potatoes, cut-side down. Cook, shaking pan occasionally, until potatoes are deep golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Add chopped rosemary and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat potatoes. Cook, tossing and stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer potatoes to a serving platter with a slotted spoon, leaving excess fat behind. Increase heat to high until leftover fat is smoking. Pour over resting steak. Discard garlic, rosemary, and thyme sprigs. Place steak on serving platter and serve immediately.

Breakfast Tacos with Crispy Potatoes, Chorizo, and Fried Egg

Ingredients

serves Serves 2 to 3, active time 30 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 1 large russet potato (about 10 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Kosher Salt
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
• 3 ounces Mexican-style raw chorizo (see note above)
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens reserved separately
• 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 eggs
• 4 soft flour or corn tortillas, warm
• 1 cup homemade or store-bought roasted tomato salsa
• Chopped cilantro, sour cream or Mexican crema, and lime wedges for serving

Procedures

1. Place potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by 1-inch. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and the vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are softed, about 8 minutes. Drain and let rest for 5 minutes to dry.
   
2. While potatoes cook, heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a medium non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chorizo and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through. Transfer chorizo to a small bowl, leaving oil behind.
   
3. When potatoes have dried, reheat chorizo oil over high heat until shimmering. Add potatoes and cook, tossing occasionally, until crisp and golden brown all over, about 15 minutes. Add scallion whites and serranos and continue to cook, tossing, until softened and aromatic, about 1 minute longer. Stir in chorizo and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Wipe out skillet.
   
4. Add remaining teaspoon oil and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat.
   
5. Divide potato mixture between tortillas. Top each with a fried egg and some salsa. Serve immediately with chopped cilantro, scallion greens, sour cream or Mexican crema, and lime wedges.

Smashed Green Beans and Potatoes with Pancetta

Ingredients

serves serves 6, active time 20 minutes, total time 45 minutes

• 1 pound (455 g) medium-size yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut in half crosswise
• 1 pound (455 g) fresh young green beans, ends trimmed
• 4 ounces (115 g) pancetta, diced
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Procedures

1. Put the potatoes and green beans in a large pot and fill with cold water to cover. Set the pot over high heat and salt generously. Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-high to maintain a lively (but not violent) simmer. Boil the vegetables until they are very tender, about 25 minutes.
   
2. While the potatoes and green beans are cooking, place the pancetta in a medium skillet (I use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet) and set over medium heat. Sauté the pancetta, turning it frequently, for about 10 minutes, until it has rendered some of its fat and has just begun to crisp and turn brown. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
   
3. When the vegetables are tender, drain them in a colander. Return them to the pot and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes and green beans together as you drizzle. What you’re aiming for is a somewhat lumpy, textured mash—no need to purée completely.
   
4. With a spatula or wooden spoon, scrape the pancetta and drippings into the pot and stir to combine with the potato-bean mash. Season with salt and pepper.
   
5. Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl and drizzle with a little more olive oil if you like. Serve warm or at room temperature.