I like to think of myself as a fairly adventurous eater, but
when it comes to breakfast, I usually fall into the “if it’s not broken, don’t
fix it,” school of thought, and home fries are a perfect example. I mean, what
improvement can you possibly make to perfectly pan-fried, crispy on the
outside, fluffy in the middle breakfast potatoes?
Maybe this is just semantics, since these Bombay breakfast
potatoes aren’t really supposed to be an improvement, but rather a slightly
more exotic change of pace. In any event, they were absolutely delicious, and
while definitely different than your average diner fare, they managed to
retain an acceptable degree of comforting familiarity. And for that, I will mostly
credit the texture.
Like I said in the video, even if you don’t plan on using
the Indian-inspired spicing, you’ll want to pay attention to the cook-first,
fry-later approach. While it does take a little bit of planning ahead, the pay
off is substantial. By boiling first, and then thoroughly chilling before you
panfry, the starches on the surface “gelatinize,” which makes all that
irresistible crispiness possible.
Above and beyond the textural advantages, by prepping the
potatoes the night before, you’re making things pretty easy for yourself the
next morning. Just toss them into the hot pan, and by the time your eggs are
cracked, beaten, and scrambled, your home fries should be just about done. So,
no matter how you season yours, I really do hope you give these a try soon.
Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:
Spice mix:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 large russet potatoes, cut in 16ths, cooked in well-salted water
salt to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup green onions
1/4 cup diced hot and/or sweet peppers
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
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