You Say Potato

I admit I have a preference in the pecking order of potatoes.

Mashed potatoes are first, followed by latkes, with roasted potatoes and scalloped potatoes tying for third. After that I like baked potatoes and my least favorite form of Solanum tuberosum is the french fry (though I admit a good steak frites is wonderful from time to time at a bon bistro). I could easily enjoy sweet potatoes in any of the aforementioned forms, and am eyeing a scalloped sweet potato recipe with apples that I am wanting to try before the weather gets to warm and the only potatoes I am making will be chopped up into a salad.

The red potatoes at the supermarket looked inviting to me, so I grabbed a bag and came home and looked up some ideas for the scarlet spuds. I found a great recipe from Bon Appetit, tweaked it a little, and the result was probably the best roasted potatoes I have ever had. The onions tasted like candy...sweet and caramelized. The potatoes were perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. This would pair well with any rich chicken or beef dish.

Once you read the recipe list, its pretty clear what ingredient made this dish shine. As my friend Lime says, onion soup mix makes everything taste better!

Roasted Onions and Potatoes (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

2 pounds of red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges

2 yellow onions, cut into chunks

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons of butter, melted

1 envelope of onion soup mix

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees

-Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat onions and potatoes

- Spread out on a baking sheet

- Bake until potatoes are crisp and golden brown and , stirring occassionally, about 30-35 minutes

- Sprinkle with pepper to taste