Keeping the oven off

August has been a busy month, so a bit slow on the old blogging action, what with visiting Grandpa Guy, getting Cass ready for college, working my way through Infinite Jest (halfway there!), and let's not forget the Nazis running around the Downtown Mall with their assault rifles. Here's a better view of Charlottesville, from the candlelight vigil attended by Mom, Grandma Judy, Pop Pop, and thousands of others.

Following on from our last episode, here is another recipe that lets you keep the oven off during a summer heat wave. I let Cassie decide which variation to go with, and she opted for lemon and chives, which was a good choice, though Brad wasn't 100% convinced by the combination of lemon and potatoes. I liked plucking the chives fresh from Mom's container garden, even if it is looking a bit scruffy. This is not much effort for perfectly cooked potatoes: crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

Chili and cumin variation

Pan-Roasted Potatoes with Lemon and Chives

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, May 2005

Time: 35 minutes

1¼ pounds small (<2-inch diameter) or medium (2- to 3-inch diameter) Yukon Gold or Red Bliss potatoes (I used Trader Joe's Dutch Yellow baby potatoes)
2 tablespoons (27 grams) olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

    1. Scrub the unpeeled potatoes. Halve small potatoes; quarter medium potatoes. Rinse the cut potatoes and drain well in a colander. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and allow to dry while preparing the other ingredients. When ready to proceed, pat the potatoes dry if necessary.
    2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet (one that you have a lid for) over medium to medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the potatoes with one cut side down in the hot oil, in a single layer if possible; it'll be a tight squeeze now, but they'll shrink some as they cook. Cook, without stirring, until golden brown on that side, 5–7 minutes.
    3. Use tongs to turn the potatoes—skin side down for halved potatoes, second cut side down for quartered potatoes. Cook, without stirring, until deep golden brown, 5–6 minutes more.
    4. Stir the potatoes, then spread them out in a single layer again. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Cover the pan and cook until the potatoes are crispy on the outside, but tender and creamy on the inside, 6–8 minutes. A paring knife inserted into the center of one of the largest potato pieces should slide in with no resistance.
    5. Meanwhile, combine the chives, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. When the potatoes are ready, sprinkle them with the seasoning mixture, and stir gently to combine. Serve promptly. Serves 3 or 4.

Pan-Roasted Potatoes
Omit the chives and lemon zest.

Pan-Roasted Potatoes with Chili and Cumin
In step 5, season the potatoes with a mixture of ¾ teaspoon chili powder, ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika, scant ½ teaspoon ground cumin, scant ¼ teaspoon cayenne, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, omitting the black pepper.