Kale Chips

Here's a recipe for Kale Chips from Christine Gallary at Chow.com.

Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: About 45 mins | Makes: 2 servings

Kale has a certain vegetal flavor that you either love or hate. No matter which camp you’re in, it’s hard to resist the deliciousness of these crispy chips, which are subtly spicy from togarashi powder. Warning: Once you start snacking, it’ll be hard to stop.

It’s best to use dinosaur kale (also known as black kale, Lacinato, or cavolo nero) rather than curly kale because its broad, flat leaves crisp up more evenly.

Special equipment: You will need a pastry brush to make these chips.

Ingredients: 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon togarashi powder, 1 pound dinosaur kale, 3 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for coating the baking sheet.

Instructions: Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Using a pastry brush, coat a baking sheet with a thin layer of olive oil; set aside. Combine the salt, sugar, and togarashi in a small bowl; set aside. Remove and discard the center ribs and stalks of the kale. Tear the leaves into rough 3-inch pieces. Wash the leaves and dry them thoroughly.

Place half of the leaves in a large bowl, drizzle with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil, and toss with your hands until the leaves are thoroughly coated. Sprinkle with half of the togarashi mixture (about 3/4 teaspoon) and toss again with your hands until the leaves are thoroughly coated. Place the leaves in a single, even layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until the kale chips are crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, place the baking sheet on a wire rack, and let the chips cool for about 3 minutes. Using your hands, carefully transfer the chips to a serving dish. Repeat with the remaining kale, oil, and togarashi mixture. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Potato-Turnip Latkes Fried in Duck Fat

This one comes from Chow.com just in time for Hanukkah. You can check out the recipe right here.

Boxty!

It's that time of year again, here's a recipe from Chow.com by Christine Gallary:

Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake that contains a mixture of mashed and grated potatoes, resulting in a unique texture that’s part pancake, part hash brown. While suitable on an Irish breakfast or supper table, boxty pairs well with so many cuisines. For example, try topping it with smoked salmon and crème fraîche for a fun twist on blini. Game plan: If you only have salted butter in your fridge, it’s fine to substitute it for the unsalted butter called for here.

INGREDIENTS: 2 pounds (3 to 4 large) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, 3/4 cup whole milk, 1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt, plus more for seasoning the potatoes before cooking, 1 large egg, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 200°F. Chop half of the potatoes into large dice, place in a medium saucepan, salt generously, and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the potatoes uncovered until fork tender, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, grate the remaining potatoes on the large holes of a box grater. Toss with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and place in a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl; set aside.

When the boiled potatoes are ready, drain them, return them to the pot, add 1/4 cup of the milk, and mash until the potatoes are smooth.

With a plastic spatula, press the grated potatoes against the sides and bottom of the strainer to remove any liquid. Add the grated potatoes to the mashed potatoes (no need to stir though).

Place the egg, remaining 1/2 cup milk, flour, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and whisk until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the potatoes and stir until evenly incorporated.

Heat a large nonstick frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a couple of drops of cold water in it: If the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use; if it evaporates instantly, the pan is too hot.

Once the pan is ready, add enough butter to lightly coat the bottom when melted. Drop 3 dollops (about 1/4 cup each) of the batter into the pan and spread each to about 1/4 inch thick. Cook until the pancake bottoms are golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes more. Place on a baking sheet and set in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter. Serve warm.

Basic Baked Sweet Potato

Another one from Chow:

Basic Baked Sweet Potato

It may never replace your classic baked russet potato heaped with sour cream, but a baked sweet potato topped with molasses butter is a close runner-up.

TIME/SERVINGS
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Active Time: 5 mins
Makes: 1 serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Slice an “X” into the top of a sweet potato and place it directly on the rack with a piece of foil on the rack below. Bake until the potato is easily pierced with a knife, about 60 to 70 minutes. Top with Molasses-Clove Compound Butter and serve.

Chile-Cilantro Hash Browns

From Chow:

Chile-Cilantro Hash Browns

By Aida Mollenkamp

The ultimate hangover food, these hash browns are simply chile-spiked crisped potatoes sprinkled with cilantro. Serve them with a fried egg on top and a side of perfect bacon for a breakfast that will chase away the craziest night of partying.

INGREDIENTS

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 pound russet potatoes
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and grate on the large holes of a box grater. Squeeze mixture by the handful to release as much moisture as possible. Mix potatoes with chili powder and pepper until well combined.

3. When oil shimmers, scatter potato mixture evenly in the pan and sprinkle salt over top. Cook until the bottom of the hash is golden brown and crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes. Break the hash into four pieces, flip, and cook until golden brown and crisp on the second side, about 4 to 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately.

Truffled Fingerling Smashed Potatoes

From CHOW:

Truffled Fingerling Smashed Potatoes Recipe

Chef Garces folds truffle oil into smashed potatoes to make them even more irresistible.

What to buy: Fingerling potatoes are white potatoes with a thin skin. They can be found in gourmet grocery stores and at farmers’ markets. If you can’t find them, use Yukon Gold potatoes instead.

Truffle oil can be found at gourmet grocery stores.

This recipe was featured as part of our Suckling Pig for the Holidays menu.

INGREDIENTS

* 5 pounds fingerling potatoes
* 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 cup white truffle oil
* 4 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place potatoes in a large pot, add water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches, salt well (the water should taste like seawater), and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer potatoes until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Drain potatoes, return to the pot along with butter, and cook over low heat until butter is melted. Using a hand-held potato masher, smash potatoes until butter is incorporated, leaving some lumps. Add cream, truffle oil, salt, and pepper and fold together. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Difficulty: Easy

TIME/SERVINGS

Total: 1 hr
Active: 10 mins
Makes: 10 to 12 servings