Potato-mania

Potatoes are the most versatile of all vegetables. In addition to being a great source of nutrition, potatoes are inexpensive and go a long way at stretching the family food budget. Any meal is made better by the addition of potatoes, especially when you make these recipes.

BACON CHEDDAR HASSELBACK POTATOES

SERVES 4

Impress your guests with baked potatoes that kick it up a notch.

4 russet potatoes

Olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

4 slices cooked crispy bacon

Green onions, sliced (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Wash and dry potatoes. Using a sharp knife, slice potatoes crosswise into ¼-inch slices, being careful not to cut all the way through the potatoes. Rub potatoes lightly with oil. Bake 30 minutes until potatoes start to open up (slices start to pull apart). Pour melted butter over potatoes, making sure it gets in between the slices. Bake another 20 minutes and cover potatoes with equal amounts of cheese, again making sure cheese gets in between the slices. Return to oven and cook about 10 minutes or until cheese melts and potatoes are done. Sprinkle potatoes with bacon and additional grated cheese. Garnish with green onions.

Chef’s tip: When cutting Hasselback potatoes, here’s an easy way to ensure you don’t accidentally cut all the way through. Use two, clean ¼-inch-thick rulers—one on each side of the potato. The rulers act as a “stop-gap” for the knife.

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Sweet Potato Pecan Pound Cake with Caramel Icing

SERVES 12–16

Cake

2 cups sweet potatoes, baked and pureed (approximately 4 medium potatoes)

Vegetable spray

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons cardamom

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1½ cup chopped nuts

Caramel Icing (makes approximately 1 cup)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons milk

½ cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup chopped nuts

Cake: Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray sweet potatoes lightly with vegetable spray. Bake until soft, approximately 50–60 minutes, depending on size. Let cool to touch. Peel and puree by hand or in a food processor. Measure 2 cups.

Lower oven temperature to 350 F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt or angel food cake pan with baking spray. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter with sugars and beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and sweet potatoes and blend well. In another medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom. Reduce mixer to lowest speed and add flour mixture, one cup at a time, alternating with buttermilk. Finally, add chopped nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; carefully move from pan to a cake rack to cool completely.

Icing: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add milk and brown sugar and boil for one minute. Watch very carefully—do not turn your back on boiling milk! Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup confectioner’s sugar. Cool slightly and stir in vanilla and remaining confectioner’s sugar. If too thick, add more milk, a little at a time, until desired consistency. Pour evenly over cooled cake and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Let icing harden before serving.

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Caramelized Onion Scallop Potatoes

SERVES 4-6

Olive oil

2–3 cups onions, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 pound)

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/8-inch thick

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided into two ½-cup portions

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt

White pepper

1 teaspoon butter, for au gratin dish

¼ cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions and stir and cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss potatoes in ¼ cup olive oil*, ½ cup grated Gruyere, Parmesan, salt and pepper. (If potatoes are sliced in advance, be sure to keep in cold water to prevent from turning gray. Drain and pat dry before assembling dish.) Butter an 8-by-8-inch au gratin dish and cover bottom with caramelized onions. Arrange potatoes in dish on top of onions. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, add chicken stock and rosemary. Cover with foil and bake for 40–45 minutes until fork tender. Remove foil and broil for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Let rest 20 minutes before serving.

* Use just enough oil to coat potato slices, not saturate them.

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Potato Fish Cakes with Creamy Mustard Sauce

MAKES 8 CAKES

Fish Cakes

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

2 cups fish (can use cooked salmon, cod, or any flaky fish)

2 large eggs

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon Cajun or blackened seasoning

2 teaspoons thyme, freshly chopped

Pinch cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs

Olive oil

Thyme leaves (for garnish)

Sauce (makes approximately 1 cup)

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon fresh dill, chopped

Kosher salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

Fish cakes: In a large bowl, combine potatoes and fish. Add in eggs, onions, seasoning, thyme, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce and ½ cup breadcrumbs. In a shallow bowl, place the remaining breadcrumbs. Form mixture into eight equal-sized cakes (or smaller if you prefer); dredge in breadcrumbs on each side, and place on a platter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat ¼ cup olive oil. Working in batches, fry cakes for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined platter and keep warm until all cakes are cooked. Add additional oil as needed. Arrange cakes on serving tray and garnish with thyme leaves. Serve with sauce.

Mustard sauce: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerated sauce will keep up to a week.

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Tips and techniques

Always use baking ingredients at room temperature. When baking, bring butter, eggs and all dairy products—including milk—to room temperature before mixing. At room temperature, these ingredients form an emulsion that traps air. During baking, the air expands and results in a lighter, more evenly baked product. Cold ingredients do not incorporate evenly with each other, thereby producing denser results. Take cold items out of the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before mixing.

Warming spices. Cardamom is considered a “warming spice” as is ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and mace. That means that you can use any of these as a substitute for cardamom—which can be more difficult to find—or each other. If you must substitute cardamom in a recipe, use these proportions:

• For baking: 1 teaspoon cardamom= ½ teaspoon cinnamon + ½ teaspoon ginger
• For savory dishes: 1 teaspoon cardamom= ½ teaspoon cinnamon + ½ teaspoon cloves

To peel or not to peel? In any of these recipes, you choose which potatoes you want to peel or not. Most of the nutrients are in the peel and they are all certainly edible. You determine the best preparation for your family.

To ensure precise oven temperature. Oven temperatures can vary and are seldom precisely calibrated. To ensure your oven temperature is accurate, especially for baking, purchase and keep a portable oven thermometer in the oven. Keep on the same shelf used for baking.

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Related video

Freezing french fries—Why buy bags of frozen french fries when you can prepare your own for raw potatoes? It’s easier than you think as Chef Belinda demonstrates in her latest how-to video.