Smashingly Good

I did what I always do when I'm confused, lonely, or frightened.
I disappeared into the kitchen.

– Ruth Reichl

If you read this blog on a regular basis, you know that I occasionally post recipes. I do this for a number of reasons: 

• 1) to share a recipe that I'm excited about  
• 2) to memorialize one that is a long-time favorite in the Galloway household 
• 3) to pass down the recipes to Maggie, Jack and Mary. They can just "search" for a recipe, saving me from typing it out and sending it to them
• 4) and sometimes so I won't forget about a recipe that I tried and loved. 

Today's recipe falls into category 4: tried and loved.

I made it last week and liked it so much I'm making it again today so that I can share the recipe with you. Even my "non-cooking" friends can manage this one. Super easy and incredibly delicious. Crispy and creamy. Zesty and sea salty. Roasted, not fried. What could be better?

Here's the back story behind the recipe. For my birthday, friend Patrice gave me a copy of Ruth Reichl's new book,  My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved my Life. For those "non-cooking" friends I should explain that Ruth Reichl was the editor of Gourmet magazine when it was abruptly shuttered by its parent company in the fall of 2009. Ms. Reichl was stunned by the announcement (as was I) and as she struggled to process the demise of the magazine, she turned to the one place that had always provided sanctuary. "I did what I always do when I'm confused, lonely, or frightened," she writes. "I disappeared into the kitchen."

For the next year, she slowly healed through the simple pleasures of cooking. While writing this book – part cookbook, part memoir – Ms. Reichl found solace in her kitchen. I found comfort too. And I found this recipe...

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Crisp, Lemony Baby Yukons

ingredients
3 pounds baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
   (I used baby red potatoes instead)
3 cups chicken stock
1-2 lemons
2 cloves garlic, smashed
olive oil
sea salt

procedure
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put the chicken stock into a medium-sized pan and stir in the lemon zest. (I used a vegetable peeler and ended up with nice wide strips of zest.) Add the potatoes and the smashed garlic, bring to a boil, cover and cook for about 12 minutes.

Drain the potatoes, reserving the lemon zest from the stock. Put the potatoes on a sheet pan that is liberally covered with olive oil. Gently flatten each potato, using the back of a chef's knife, a rolling pin, or a small skillet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and the lemon zest. (I diced the zest into small strips, once it had cooked in the broth). Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp. Sprinkle with lemon juice and a bit more salt. Serve hot.
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Before roasting.

After roasting.

Warning: they are addictive. Bon appetit!