-
Prep time
15 minutes
-
Cook time
15 minutes
-
Serves
4 to 6
Author Notes
I was lucky enough to be gifted a copy of the Toro Bravo cookbook. For those unfamiliar with the Portland dining scene, Toro Bravo is a local tapas-style restaurant that pays homage to classic Spanish dishes. The food they serve is ah-mazing, and I highly recommend a visit if you're ever in town (though be prepared to wait unless you get there when the doors open). One of the recipes I've tried from the book is for Butter-Braised Turnips with Mojo Picón. The turnips cooked up beautifully in the butter, and I wondered if the same technique would translate to other root vegetables. I gave fingerling potatoes a whirl, and was quite pleased with the result. The potatoes got golden brown and a little crispy outside, and were sweet and creamy inside. I added herbs, garlic, and lemon juice to liven things up. The amount of butter used definitely seems insane, and you may be tempted to decrease it, but I implore you not to; it's necessary for the potatoes to cook through, plus about half of it will remain in the pan when the dish is plated. —hardlikearmour
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe is super easy and quick, with excellent instructions and a delicious finish from the splash of lemon juice at the end. If I had one suggestion, it would be that we would have liked the addition of one or two sliced shallots towards the end (just enough to crisp them up). That would have made this recipe absolutely perfect. —drbabs
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
-
1 1/2 pounds
fingerling potatoes
-
1
stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
-
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
-
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
-
1 1/2 tablespoons
small sage leaves (or coarsely chopped large ones)
-
1 1/2 tablespoons
rosemary leaves
-
1 tablespoon
minced garlic (2 large or 3 medium cloves)
-
1 1/2 tablespoons
lemon juice (or sherry or malt vinegar)
-
1/4 cup
chopped parsley and/or minced chives or scallions and/or rosemary or borage blossoms to garnish
Directions
-
Scrub the fingerlings, then cut into approximately 1-inch pieces. The pieces should all be about the same size so they cook at the same rate.
-
Heat a 12-inch sauté pan (not non-stick) over medium-high heat. Cut the butter in half lengthwise. When the pan is hot, add the butter all at once. It's going to steam, smoke, and start to brown immediately. You may want to panic, but don't—just have an exhaust fan going and proceed quickly. It will work out.
-
Immediately add the potatoes, even though the butter won't be fully melted. Arrange them in a single layer and season them with salt and pepper. Let them cook without stirring for 4 minutes. Stir, then rearrange in a single layer, turning individual pieces if they have an obviously raw side up. Stir after 2 to 3 minutes, then stir again after another 2 to 3 minutes.
-
Test one of the largest pieces. If needed, stir and cook a bit longer. Otherwise push the potatoes to one side of the pan, creating a small space to add the herbs and garlic. Add the sage and rosemary, and allow to fry for 15 to 20 seconds. Add the garlic, and allow to fry for 10 to 15 seconds. Then stir so the herbs and garlic are evenly distributed and the potatoes are in a single layer again. Add the lemon juice, and when it finishes hissing, remove the pan from the heat and give everything a good stir.
-
Transfer to a serving dish using a slotted spoon or spider. Try to get most of the herbs, but leave most of the butter behind. Garnish as desired, and serve immediately. (They taste delicious at room temperature, but they quickly lose their crispness. Feel free to go this route—I promise, no one will complain!)
I am an amateur baker and cake decorator. I enjoy cooking, as well as eating and feeding others. I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband and our menagerie. I enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, mushroom hunting, tide pooling, beach combing, and snowboarding.
See what other Food52ers are saying.