Baked Potato Puffs – A New Way to Pomme Dauphine from a Potato Fiend

The hardest line cook job I ever had was working the broiler station at the Carnelian Room, where on a busy night I’d prepare over 250 steaks and chops, which wasn’t even the most difficult part. No, the biggest challenge was actually frying these potato puffs to order, to go on all those plates.

It was a lot of work, but a labor of love, since pomme dauphine, as my French friends would call this, is one of the greatest foods ever invented, especially for potato fanatics like me. However, as with most fried foods, they can be messy to make, and unless you have an industrial-strength hood fan, your kitchen will smell like a deep fryer for days, which is why I wanted to try and do a baked version.

I was very happy with the results, and while the outside wasn’t dark and crispy like the fried version, the inside was virtually identical, and thoroughly enjoyable in their own right. Whether you’re making them as a warm snack with a dip, or to go alongside some eggs, or a grilled steak, the baked version should work out just fine.

Of course, since we’re getting close to Thanksgiving, if you are one of these people who deep-fries the turkey, I would probably go with the traditional method. Especially since you’ll be cooking outside where sneaking a few of these while you’re working will be pretty easy to get away with. Either way, I really do hope you give these potato puffs a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 Small Baked Potato Puffs:

(I did a tiny test batch, so I highly recommend doubling or tripling the recipe)

1 cup cooked, plain mashed potatoes (Yukon or Russet)

salt and cayenne to taste

small pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
butter for the muffin tin

For the pastry dough:

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

pinch of salt

1 large egg

- For a mini muffin tin*, butter well, and bake at 450 F for about 20 minutes, or until browned and puffed.

- Or, deep-fry at 375 F for a few minutes until browned and puffed.

* These might work in a regular muffin tin, but you’ll need to bake longer.

Roasted Lemon Pepper Potatoes – The Side Dish That Doesn’t Play Second Fiddle

If you’ve made and loved our Greek Lemon Chicken, and Fondant Potatoes, then you will absolutely adore these lemon pepper potatoes, since it’s basically the best of those two recipes put together, minus the chicken. The only problem is, whatever main course you decide to go with is in serious danger of being upstaged.

Speaking of chicken, if you happen to be roasting one, besides keeping the bones for stock, be sure to save the rendered fat as well, since that will elevate this dish to even greater heights. Also, feel free to add some garlic here, but if you do, I’d go with whole cloves, since minced garlic may burn onto the bottom of the dish towards the end of the roasting time.

These are incredible eaten hot and fresh, but if for some reason you don’t finish them all, they make the best homefries you’ll ever eat. Just cut them up, and fry in some olive oil until crispy. They’re so good, you’ll be tempted to make them just for that purpose, although that will take way more willpower than I possess. Regardless, I really do hope you give these Lemon Pepper Potatoes a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 Portions Lemon Pepper Potatoes:

4 large russet potatoes

salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste

1/4 cup olive oil, or enough to cover bottom of baking dish

fresh oregano springs, optional

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons lemon zest

juice from 1 or 2 lemons

- Roast at 400 F. for 20 minutes, flip and cook another 15 min., then flip again, and continue roasting until very tender and crusty.

Grilled German Potato Salad – Warming Up to a Great Summer Side Dish

I’ve never been a huge fan of German potato salad, for two very good reasons. First of all, my love for mayonnaise borders on inappropriate, and secondly, the potatoes always seem to be under-cooked. 

I enjoy many things cooked al dente, but potatoes are never, ever one of them. I know people want clean, neat slices, but to me that’s just not a good enough reason.

However, if they’re cooked tender, especially over some smoky coals, I can forgive the lack of mayo, since this is a very flavorful change of pace, and as I mentioned in the video, perfect for bringing to a cookout. A German potato salad must be eaten warm, or at least room temp, so placing a bowl of this on a sunny picnic table works out very well.

I use a ton of bacon in my version, because it’s bacon, but if you do decide to use less, you’ll have to add some vegetable or olive oil to the dressing to make up the difference. You could just use less vinegar, but then you might not have enough dressing to really soak the potatoes, which would be a shame. So, what I’m trying to say is, use a lot of bacon. Either way, I really do hope you give this great potato salad a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 Portions Grilled German Potato Salad:

2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, grilled until just tender

1/4 cup freshly chopped Italian parsley

For the dressing:

8 ounces sliced bacon

1 cup diced yellow onion

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cayenne to taste

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

Note: If you want you dressing tangier, add more vinegar, but if you want it less so, you’ll have to adjust with vegetable oil, since you can’t add more bacon fat.

Poutine – You'll Ruin French Fries and Like It

As the old joke goes, it takes a lot of time and effort to make poutine, but at least when you’re finally done you get to eat soggy fries. And, what incredibly delicious, soggy fries they are. 

Once you get past the fact that this is how they’re supposed to be, you can focus on the overall awesomeness of the dish, especially the rich, freshly made beef gravy featured herein.

I realize most you won’t actually use this gravy to make poutine, which is totally fine by me, since this is so good, on so many other things. While I don’t have any problem with you buying the cheese curds, or using frozen fries, I really do hope you make the sauce from scratch, as it is profoundly better than anything from the store.

I should mention that none of the “authentic” poutines I’ve had included chunks of beef in the gravy, but I really enjoy the extra meatiness, and this way everyone knows we made it from scratch. By the way, if you’re of the vegetarian persuasion, some severely caramelized mushrooms, and a decent vegetable stock (which I still need to do a video for), will produce a perfectly fine version. Either way, I really do hope you give this a try soon…at least the beef gravy. Enjoy!

For the Beef Gravy:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or lard

1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef short rib, chuck, or brisket, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup diced onions (you can also add some garlic if you want)

salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups homemade beef broth, or a low-sodium, all-natural prepared broth

fresh chives to garnish

For the Fries: click here for video

For the Cheese Curds: click here for video

Perfect Potato Salad – Just Like Mom Used to Make

I can’t believe I haven’t posted a recipe for classic American potato salad, especially since it was such a childhood favorite of mine. As I mentioned in the video, this is the first food I can remember eating, and apparently was one of my favorite baby foods.

This is my take on my mother Pauline’s potato salad, but the actual “recipe” isn’t the main point here. This is more about what I think are the best practices for making potato salad. As long as you follow this basic procedure, it really doesn’t matter how you accessorize your spuds.

Speaking of which, onions are always a very controversial addition. If you use too many, or cut them with a dull knife, their sharp taste can overpower the salad. This can be exacerbated even more if you make it way ahead of time. So if you are going to use onions, I suggest a sweet variety like Vidalia, or Maui; and be sure to use a sharp knife.

The other major factors are making sure you use enough salt, and waiting for your potatoes the cool to room temperature before dressing them. If you’ve ever had a bad, greasy looking potato salad, I can almost guarantee it was mixed while still hot. So, don’t be in a hurry.

Other than that, not a lot can go wrong. So, whether you’re making this for your next picnic, or you want to save money on baby food, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 portions:

3 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed clean
- Boil in 10 cups of water with 1/4 cup of kosher salt

2 tablespoons finely diced sweet onions, optional

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

1/2 cup finely diced celery

3 large hard boiled eggs

For the dressing:

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus probably much more as needed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cayenne to taste

- After mixing, chill for 2-3 hours, before tasting and adjusting the salt. You’ll definitely need more, as well as usually another spoonful of mayo.