My cousins came for brunch today and I asked Lon to make (and write the recipe) for Home Fried Potatoes. My only requirement was that I wanted him to use tomato paste. We agreed that it was a nice touch, adding both flavor and color to the dish. It turned out pretty spicy too but everyone loved it.
Home Fried Potatoes
~about 6 servings (side dish)
- 4 cups of peeled and cubed (3/4″) Idaho potatoes, roughly 3 medium-to-large Idaho potatoes
- 2 cups diced (1″) red and/or green bell peppers
- 1 1/2 cups chopped (3/4″) yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- salt and pepper to taste
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and boil for 10 minutes, strain, then air dry for 10 minutes.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron pan, over medium-high heat. Stir in peppers and onions, season, and cook for 3 minutes, or until veggies are starting to soften.
3. Push peppers and onions to the side leaving a space in the middle of the pan. Add tomato paste and caramelize for about 30 seconds. Add cayenne and rosemary, stir until well combined.
4. Clear another space in the middle and add potatoes. Toss thoroughly, but avoid breaking potatoes too much. Cook 3 minutes.
5. Season to taste. You will likely have to add more salt as potatoes take a lot of salt. Keep warm in baking dish in oven at 350, uncovered, or serve immediately.
We actually made double this recipe, which meant doing the whole thing in the cast iron twice, which fills a 9X13 pan nicely. My cousins are a hungry group so we made tons of other goodies. I made biscuits, partially whole wheat.
This sounds like an awesome brunch, very complete in deed. I made too few waffle for my family and we were fighting over them. You seemed to have the opposite problem, but it looks so good, it probably all went.
The home fries look good, but I like to get a little “fry” crust on my potatoes, danger with idaho potatoes is the startch means they stick if fried too long (or you have to drown them in oil). What’s the solution? Thx.
Bill, Idahos are probably still the best bet, their high starch level means lots of sugar, which is what forms the crust. It’s the right variety, you just need the right technique…
A few ideas to try:
1. Cut the potatoes into smaller pieces, like 1/2″ cubes.
2. Soak the potatoes in cold water for eight hours or over night. Change the water at least once. You can even add a bit of sugar and salt to the water (brine) to improve the crusty-creation. This soaking will draw out some of the starch and soften the flesh a bit (which means less cooking is necessary).
3. Deep fry the potatoes at 300-325 for 3-4 minutes, rather than boiling them in water. This will start to develop the crust and give you a more enjoyable texture. Per your note about oil, if done correctly, this should not make the potatoes oily, because the water content should keep the oil out. Make sure to towel dry the potatoes before frying, and again after.
4. When you start to pan fry the potatoes, make sure there is only one layer of potato, so they all get surface contact. This helps in two ways. The direct contact will make that crust you’re looking for. And it avoids steaming the potatoes that are sitting on top of other potatoes.
Hope those ideas help!
manger la ville, we didn’t have much left-over.
Bill, if you want to go low on oil, you may want to just try roasting waxy potatoes (like red, yukon, new, or blue). Toss them in a bit of olive oil and salt (optional: garlic and herbs) and roast at around 400 degrees. The outsides will get crispy.
Jessica, just curious why did you want tomato paste in the potato?
Bill – I always crust my home fries and only use Idaho potato. Two ideas: one, used baked (or microwaved) potatoes that have cooled completely. Two, add a little water to the pan and cover to allow the potatoes to steam through a bit, then get the crust afterwards.
Kasi, that’s the problem for me, once the potatoes start steaming, they get mushy and break into pieces and I’m left with dry mashed potatoes – which I can then put a crust on, but it’s mushy and ugly. I love home fries that retain their physical integrity but also have some nice fry. I’ll try Lon’s recs and I’ll try using boiled (ala Lon) and baked (ala you) to see which works out better. Thanks for all the awesome feedback everyone!
mmm…home fries. crispy and filling and wonderful. i’ve never added tomato paste to mine, but what a great idea! sounds like a great brunch. 🙂
K&S;, I was thinking about these home fries I had at a diner as a kid. I really loved them and I was trying to think of why, and my best guess (since this was when I was around 9 or 10)was that it was made with tomato paste…and I think I was right. Yum!
Grace, potatoes are always comfort food in my book.
Wow! Looks awesome guys. What a lucky family you have. I will definitely try those tators. I’m intrigued about the tomato paste element.
Thanks Snazz! …taters mean love.
This looks really fantastic… must try this weekend.
Thanks!
Those fried potatoes look so Yum!! I’ve saved the recipe and will try it soon, thanks a bunch!
Thanks Kelly and Miri, let us know how it turns out!
I haven’t had home fried potatoes in forever, and this has my mouth watering!
That’s a nice looking brunch spread!
I was surprised that there wasn’t any paprika on the potatoes.
I saw the picture of the Home Fried Tomatoes on tastespotting. They sure look yummy and easy to make. Thanks for posting it. 🙂
Deborah, it’s about time. hehe
Thanks Nate-n-Annie, paprika is the classic way I think, and I just wanted to try something a little different.
Your welcome Granny, great to make for grandkids!
I’ve created a link to this post in the “Recipes” section of our newest “Cast Iron Around the Web” entry at http://www.cookingincastiron.com
Thanks R. Mansfield!
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