Roasted Potato Rounds

(click to enlarge)

In general, I am not a starch person. 

I don’t require bread.  I can live without it (unless it’s fresh baked and then I am compelled to steal it, still warm, open it and carefully eat out the middle then the crust…this is law).  I can live without rice, pasta and potatoes.  Give me veggies and meat and I will be a happy girl.

When I do eat starches it is usually because they are the conveyance for other flavors.  Garlic.  Pasta Sauce.  Garlic.  Wasabi.  Tomatoes.  Cream.  And even then, it is the flavoring component that is the star, not the starch itself.

I could never understands my best friend’s penchant for eating potato sandwiches.  She simply slice left over potatoes, sprinkle them with a little cheese and stick them between two slice of ordinary, mayo covered pieces of white bread.

To me, a sandwich is all about the filling.

The bread is just wrapping.  And as far as I am concerned, the thinner the better.  I am the person who eats out the middle of a sandwich and leaves the bread with a chance bite taken out of the corner (for research purposes only).

I would be happy with a tray full of crudités, some meat, and maybe a flavorful cheese.  Heck, given enough flavorful cheeses, I would happily skip the rest of the list, but I digress.

However, there are exceptions to every rule.  And once in a while I crave something starchy.

Something crisp on the edges and tender inside.  Salty, caramelized, puffed and perfect.

I crave oven roasted potato rounds.
 

Tonight I had such a craving.  Luckily, I had obtained two bags of baby Yukon golds at the market this weekend.  And because I had two bags, I decided to make different varieties; Pimento de la Vera and BBQ spice.  One smoky and pungent and the other sweet and fragrant.  Both with their own charms.

The variations of course are endless.  And even just salt and pepper is good, if a little plain.  The trick though, is that these must be served fresh from the oven.  Delaying even a few minutes shrivels them and the moist interior begins to soften the crisp exterior.  And while they are still excellent cold, they loose that ideal texture they have only when piping hot; the sublime experience of biting through the crisp shell to the fluffy interior.

But the best thing about this recipe is that though it is good enough for company, it is completely unfussy and virtually effort free.

Unfortunately, this time I underestimated the potatoes and didn’t peel them, so they turned out bitter.  At least I learned a lesson – if in doubt, peel them!

(Click to Enlarge)

Oven Roasted Potato Rounds

1 dozen small, thin skinned potatoes or the equivalent in large potatoes
1 tablespoon seasoning of choice
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 475 (450 for a convection oven)

Cover a baking sheet with tin foil.

Slice potatoes into 1/3 inch rounds and toss into a large bowl.  Pour oil over potatoes and add salt and seasonings.  Toss to coat.  Spread in single layer onto the cookie sheet.

Bake until brown stops appear and edges are crisp.  Rotate half way through.  This takes about 35 minutes.

Test for salt, sprinkling a little more if necessary.  Serve immediately.*

* Ok.  Ok.  I give.  They are perfectly good served at room temperature, but they are so much better hot out of the oven!

Comments

[lisa]

hi, it's lisa...i LOVE THIS BLOG!!

[kitarra]

*fingerwaves* Hi Lisa!

Thank you very much. I love doing the blog. This is so much fun.

[Ramya]

Hi kittara,
I always look for recipe for potatoes.What kind of potatoe do we have to use.(red ,yukon and white)???

[kitarra]

Hy Ranya,

You can use any kind of baking potato. I used baby yukon golds but you can use regular baking potatoes or russets. Anything that's good baked. If the potatoe is not thin skinned though, you might want to peel them.

[connie]

To tell you that I shall be making your potatoes for Sunday dinner, this is easy for me, I shall serve them to my patents. If I may ask you, how do I serve your beautiful Midori dessert? Do I give each person a glassful of dip or is that for everyone? so sorry to be so uneducated but I am trying very hard. Also to tell you shrimp with avocado dip was very enjoyed by everyone. Thank you

[kitarra]

Connie,

I am glad that the shrimp turned out well for you. I hope the potatoes do too!

I don't mind questions at all. When I am serving the midori for a party, I generally serve it like a dip. One bowl in the middle of a tray of fruit.

When I am serving it for a more elegant party, I clean and slice the strawberries into a pretty glass or ice cream bowl and drizzle with the dip. Its so pretty like that!

But you can serve it in individual little glasses with a small bowl of strawberries or apples if you like. Be creative. I like small shot glasses so I was just playing around with one of mine for the picture!

Hope that helps!