My favorite way to have roast potatoes. Full credit to Chef Ottolenghi whose books have opened up a whole new world of spices and flavors.
Ingredients
Potatoes (preferably Yukon Gold) 2 kg peeled and cut into 2" chunks
2 heads of garlic with cloves peeled
Duck (or goose) fat 130 g
Thyme 6 sprigs
Rosemary 4 sprigs
Semolina 40g (1/4 c)
Caraway seeds 2 tsp
Harissa 2 tbsp
Method
Garlic confit: Place the duck fat, garlic cloves, thyme and rosemary in a ovenproof ramekin. Cover and cook in preheated 350 degree oven (toaster oven works nicely for this) for 40 minutes. Strain into a large bowl and reserve the solids (the confit).
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large pot of boiling salted water place the potatoes and cook CAREFULLY until the chunks still resist a fork (they will continue to cook by their own heat). Drain in a colander and toss roughly so as to create fluffed up edges. Toss with the semolina. Allow to dry for 10".
Add the potatoes to the bowl containing the duck fat and combine with the harissa, caraway seeds and 2 tsp salt. Spread out onto baking tray lined with silicone mat or parchment paper. Bake for about 45", turning the potatoes once or twice in the process. Add back the garlic and herbs for an additional 10-15" of roasting. The potatoes should have a nice golden brown color and a crispy exterior. Serve with a little flaky sea salt if so desired. You and your guests will be delighted by this dish. Enjoy!
Note: The harissa adds a bit of Maghrebi spiciness to this dish. The garlic and herbs contribute additional Provençal notes. Feel free to omit them if you are not fond of one or all. The important thing is how the potatoes are parboiled, roughed up in the colander and coated with fat or oil of your choosing. If you choose to cut the potatoes into smaller chunks this will necessarily entail adjustment of cooking times. If you substitute other potatoes you'll need to make allowance for the differing proportions of starch.
Alex
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