Pan Roasted Potatoes

The key to this recipe is to partially cook the potatoes before browning them in the skillet. This not only saves time, but it also gets the inside cooked without overcooking the inside. You want the outside crisp and golden and the inside tender, but not dried out.

I normally use common russet potatoes, because that’s usually what I have on hand. You could also use whites or reds, but I think they are better suited to potato salad.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into irregular chunks. If you have a microwave, put them in a covered Pyrex bowl and microwave them on high for about one minute per potato. You might have to increase this time if you use more than four or five potatoes.

You don’t have to cook them until they are done. Every few minutes, stir them so they will cook reasonably evenly and poke them with a knife to see if they are starting to get soft. When they are getting soft but still hard in the center, they are ready for the skillet. Drain off the water and let them air out a little, getting rid of excess steam.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil and butter in the skillet. How much depends on the amount of potatoes, but you want enough to moisten all the spuds, not leaving any dry. Put the potatoes in the skillet, and toss them with a couple of spoons or spatulas to coat them with the butter-oil mixture.

Sprinkle them with garlic salt, pepper, paprika, and a little green dried herb, like parsley, thyme, or tarragon. Let them sit over medium heat for four or five minutes undisturbed so they can get a little brown crust. Then toss them around to get a little brown on the other sides.

These potatoes are great with almost any main dish, but they are especially handy when the oven is busy doing something else, like Bistro Roast Chicken or Forty Garlic Clove Chicken.