Garlic and paprika-spiced roasted russet potatoes

 

Dem taters.

God that’s sexy, isn’t it? I mean even just saying it out loud gets me excited, not to mention the taste, the smell, the way it looks so tempting tumbled on that plate. The perfect breakfast for me isn’t waffles, isn’t pancakes, hell, not even a doughnut(!), and if you know me well enough you know how heavily I adore and worship the glorious doughnut– nope, my best motivation to roll out of bed in the morning is the promise of fried eggs and potatoes. Simple, old school, effing delicious. And even more dangerous with a generous splattering of Cholula, the liquid gold of store-bought hot sauce in my opinion. But you don’t need to have these potatoes just for breakfast– eat them for lunch as a salad, enjoy them as dinner under a blanket of pulled pork, put them in your back pocket to snack on all day long and if you sit on them, you my dear have made smashed roasted potatoes in the time it took you to write that expense report. You. Are. Awesome.

 

 

I’ve made a ton of roasted potatoes in my lifetime and can tell you the type of potato you use will yield slightly different results, mostly texturally. The russet potatoes used in this recipe will make for crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside roasted potatoes. Think of a baked potato. Now think much tinier, like the size a hamster might eat. It’s like that.

 

 

 

Also, let’s talk garlic press. I know many of you probably don’t own one. Own one. It is the easiest way to infuse maximum garlic flavor into anything you cook. I promise you won’t regret it but make sure to rinse press immediately after using, otherwise she can be a little b to clean with sticky garlic cling.

 

 

 

Sticky garlic cling. That’s a thing.

 

 

 

But more importantly of a thing: these potatoes. Do the thing.

 

 

 

 

// Garlic and paprika-spiced roasted russet potatoes

 

serves 4 hefty breakfast portions, preferably with eggs and greens

 

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, washed, scrubbed, cut into half moons

4 fat cloves garlic, pushed through garlic press

1 heaping teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 heaping teaspoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

 

// Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and tumble the potatoes in. Add the garlic, paprika, thyme, cayenne, salt, and olive oil. Toss together with your hands, massaging the spice and olive oil throughout the flesh of the potatoes. Spread them out evenly and deliver to middle rack of the oven. Roast for 15 minutes; toss with spatula. Roast another 15 minutes; toss. Roast 20, toss, test with knife– if it slides in easy and the potato skins are crispy to your desire, they’re done, if not, roast longer. And then: cool on baking sheet until you can’t stand it any longer. Devour.

With eggs, with bacon, with wilted greens, with ranch dressing. But always, always, with Cholula.