Fondant Potatoes

If potatoes were the last thing I ate, then these would be my choice. How do I describe these golden brown crispy discs? Heavenly? Scrumptious? It is hard to describe. The Serious Eats recipe is magic. Apt, as they disappeared fast!

Yukon Golds are peeled and halved. I slice off a little bit on the ends so they sit flat. Use a cast iron pan because the intense heats allows potatoes to brown evenly. A little butter, garlic slivers and fresh thyme give the dish oomph. A gelatin laden chicken broth lets potatoes braise, so the insides are soft and the outer surfaces are crisp. As I said ...magic.

FONDANT POTATOES

Adapted from Serious Eats

Serves 2

4 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes 

1 tablespoon Canola Oil

4 Garlic cloves

1 teaspoon Thyme leaves

1 tablespoon Butter

1/2 cup Chicken Broth

1 teaspoon Gelatin Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Freshly ground Black Pepper

Peel potatoes. Cut them in half. Slice a little bit off the ends so the potato sits flat. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Dissolve gelatin in chicken broth.

Cut garlic into slivers.

Chop thyme leaves roughly.

Heat oven to 400F.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat. 

Add canola oil to pan. 

Nestle potatoes in oil.

Cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes. 

Check to see if undersides are browning. 

Cook for another 3-4 minutes. 

Flip the potatoes over gently.

Drop butter into the pan.  Allow butter to foam and bubble.

Scatter garlic and thyme leaves over potatoes.

Pour chicken broth into the saucepan. It will come to a quick boil.

Place pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. 

Take them out of the oven. 

Lift them gently into serving dish. Make sure to add the crispy garlic slivers as well.

Enjoy with steak or just eat them as they are.

It is a case of delicious disappearing potatoes...

Vietnamese Chile Chicken

I call it Vietnamese chicken as there is whole lot of fish sauce involved. Lots of chiles as well. This is a fast prep dinner. Mix the sauce in one bowl. Onions and chicken chunks benefit from a quick saute. The sauce goes in. Chicken simmers. When almost done , drop a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Hot cooked rice is the perfect foil for this spicy, superfast stew.

VIETNAMESE CHILE CHICKEN

Serves 4

1 pound boneless skinless Chicken Thighs

1 Onion

1 tablespoon Canola Oil

1/3 cup light Brown Sugar

2 tablespoon Molasses

1/4 cup Fish sauce

2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar

2 teaspoons Ginger Garlic Paste

4 Green Chiles

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 tablespoon Cornstarch

Cilantro leaves

Hot cooked Rice

Cut chicken into bite size chunks.

Slice onion finely.

Slice green chiles on a bias.

Mix brown sugar, molasses, fish sauce, ginger garlic paste and green chiles in a bowl till sugar dissolves.

Heat oil in a saucepan. 

Add onion and saute till soft.

Drop chicken into the pan. 

Pour sauce over chicken. 

 Season with salt, bring to a low simmer and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes until.

Dissolve cornstarch in a little water till smooth. 

Add to chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes more. 

Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

Super Asian, super fast and super tasty. 

Peach Coconut Panna Cotta with Pistachio

It isn't often that I try a new dessert before I have company coming to dinner. So I make this with fingers crossed.

Peaches are peeled and pureed along with coconut milk. Gelatin blooms in milk instead of water.  In spite of my trepidations, my audacious efforts work out pretty well. The dessert doesn't have the silky smooth texture of the original as I haven't sieved the mixture. I prefer the mouthfeel of peach puree. Coconut milk offers an Asian twist. Chopped peaches and pistachio powder draw out fruit and nut flavors. I am delighted with this medley. So are my guests!

PEACH COCONUT PANNA COTTA WITH PISTACHIO

Serves 6-8

4  ripe Peaches

1 cup Milk, whole or 2%

1 packet unflavored Gelatin

1/2 cup Coconut Milk

1 Lemon

1 cup heavy Cream

1/2 cup Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Pistachio powder or chopped Pistachios

Pour milk into a bowl. 

Sprinkle the packet of gelatin over milk. Let it bloom for 5-10 minutes.

Peel and pit 3 peaches. Chop roughly. 

Place peaches in a blender.

Add coconut milk  and juice of lemon to peaches. Blend till smooth.

Pour mixture into a saucepan and heat for 5 minutes over a medium flame . 

Add milk and gelatin to the saucepan. Stir well. 

Add cream, sugar and salt to saucepan. 

Stir till smooth. 

Take it off the flame and cool for 15 minutes. 

Divide among 6-8 ramekins. 

I like to line my ramekins with plastic wrap. This way is easier as I don't have to dip the ramekins in hot water before inverting them onto a plate. 

Cover well and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. 

Chop remaining peach into small dice. 

When you are ready to serve invert the ramekin over a plate and gently remove the plastic wrap. 

Scatter peaches and pistachio powder over panna cotta and serve. 

I am thankful the experiment succeeded.  Even happier to see the panna cotta disappear.