Simple Braised Potatoes Recipe (2024)

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SonomaSMB

These great potatoes have become a staple at our house. The basic recipe is really good (I do add more garlic.)

But it's a fun one to play with, too. I've used leeks or red onions for some color. Duck fat makes it heavenly. It works well with so many other seasonings: paprika, lemon pepper, cumin, Moroccan spices, endless possibilities.

And always make more than you need for dinner. Leftovers are for breakfast with poached or fried eggs. Breakfast doesn't get better than that!

Rina

This resulted in too much liquid. I suggest using only 2/3 of what's used here.

cfwagner@gilanet.com

My dear mother and her mother who grew up in Southwest Louisiana cooked these (without garlic or suggested herbs) but called them "parsley potatoes" as they added plenty of fresh chopped parsley. Do not cover and add water (or broth) only as needed. Type of broth gives different taste - all good.

Road Cook

The comments are hilarious. Southerners have been cooking potatoes like this all my life...and I'm old.

Karyn

Add white wine and lemon to the braising liquid...just trust me on this!!

josee

I made these potatoes last week. I used duck fat and homemade stock. The potatoes were outstanding alongside some pork tenderloin and roasted beets.The real fun began with the leftover potatoes. Later in the week I heated some oil in a pan, added some leftover potatoes and “squished” them to a flat pancake form. Cooked to a crisp, flipped crisped up the other side and covered with a sunny side up egg from my chickens. This recipe goes up to my number 2 all time favorite potatoes recipe.

Lyn

Just clicked on it, so haven't made it yet... Looks good and simple. Just to respond to the 1st comment: I don't think it would be too much liquid. It's meant to be simmered uncovered for 30 minutes. If covered, YES, it would be too much.

Laura

Very lovely, simple, satisfying dish! I used about 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth. I cooked them in a large cast iron skillet. I think it depends mostly on the type and depth of skillet or pot you use. Just mind the instruction to have the stock barely cover potatoes and you've set.

HESPhoenix

Huge favorite! I’ve tried various potatoes. Yukon Gold are ideal for this, both in terms of flavor and structural integrity.

Norah Robb

These are Scottish stovies. Even better when the fat used is left over from the Sunday roast.

kmbap

Be careful on salt; between the stock and salt added to the potatoes, I inadvertently made it too salty. Next time I will not add salt until the end, if needed. Added extra garlic and thyme and will again the next time I make it.

Annie

Have been doing this since I first married and was not much of a cook back then, thought it up as easy and used parsley as my herb of choice.It is still one of our favorite ways to have potatoes, something very fresh and summer-like about them in my mind.These days I often use tiny potatoes of all colors, fingerlings ,get the same results.I could literally make a total meal of them.It is important to let the liquid reduce considerably, the potatoes absorb the broth and drizzle with a bit of EVOO

rubrodisca

I also feared it would be too much liquid, so I started with 1 cup. When that dried out but the potatoes weren't quite done, I splashed on just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and keep them from burning. (I kept the lid on my pan). When that liquid was absorbed, they were done. It was a simple and tasty recipe.

SMT

We loved these potatoes. Simple, tasty, and kid friendly which makes this a winner in our house. I think two cups of broth is just about right. I added a little extra to make sure they were just barely covered and that ended up being slightly too much. Still turned out delicious.

Edwin Carrington

I love this ! And all your comments are fun! Yes it's an old recipe but it's deliscious. Growing up in Brasil and Costa Rica they make this with a bit of "achiote" or tomato paste if you can't find that and cook them very slow. We add meat to it, nice chunks of beef mixed in with a nice salad and a cold beer!!! Mmmmmmm (easy to make too)

bob lafferty

outstanding. smallest white new spuds, homemade chicken stock. seems impossible to screw up. also; prepped spuds, onions, garlic with Duck fat. used thyme. did not cover spuds, bathed them. side dish to baked cod and tomatoes and shallots

John M.

Simple and delicious way to fix potatoes. I used Wirecutter recommended Imagine Low Sodium Chicken Broth (best I've ever used!) and aside from doubling the garlic, I made the recipe as written using a cast iron skillet. Thanks a lot, Mr. Bittman. Finally, a recipe I can memorize.

MMS

I'm not sure why, but this dish simply didn't excite even though I added additional garlic. I'll try again, but next time I think I'll take Karyn's advice and add wine and lemon juice.....and probably a handful of chopped, fresh herbs.

Erin M

Delicious. Exactly what we hoped for from a braised potato dish. I will try the lemon+white wine recommendation next time. I used fresh oregano because that's what I had. Turned out lovely.

Ann Grant

Seemed like too much liquid, so I reduced it and cooked with the lid off, as others have suggested. Used dry vermouth to deglaze the pan before adding chicken broth. Seasoned with savory from the garden and a little ground pepper. Perfect for me recovering from an extracted tooth rather than potato salad--any kind of acid stings!.

Moira H.

Really delicious. Cooked frozen peas in the remaining liquid which gave them a sauce too. It’s clearly a technique that can be applied to a lot of different vegetables, which was probably Bittman’s point. A great new addition to my cooking education.

Amber

Maybe I cut the slices too large but these took forever to cook and I wasn’t wowed by them. A fine dish but not one worth repeating.

Jon

Made this for a family dinner and my daughter and son-in–law, both super-tasters, loved it. My daughter described it as "delicious with an amazing depth of flavor."

Patricia

My mother called these watered potatoes. She would use bacon fat, onions, and water. So simple and delicious.

Elisabeth

Made this exactly as written and it was absolutely perfect. Looking forward to to playing with different spices and broths, and wine, too!

Vern

Potatoes stuck on bottom of pan very quickly, so then I added the stock to loosen them up and everything turned to mush. The taste was good but it did not look appetizing.

Gabriel

Seasoning your braising liquid of choice with generous salt during the braising/simmering phase is hugely important. While the dish came out as expected (and great, btw!) it definitely needed salt and, unfortunately, salting after doesn’t allow for the salt to be absorbed into the potatoes.

Mary

Great recipe! I did need to add a lot more of salt to get it there though. I doubled the amount of garlic and found that using the full 2 cups of chicken broth did the trick. Needed to simmer for 45 minutes rather than 30. Would definitely make again!

Sylvia Flores

This is a great recipe - like other comments, I would also cut the recipe down 2/3s. I had rainbow potatoes, and it took about 45 minutes versus 30. I used bacon fat, an entire head (large!) of garlic, Walla Walla onion, and fresh Thyme with chicken bone broth. I wanted to keep it simple, but I love SonomaSMB's commentary on the additional spices additions. Cumin would be divine!

Pat

Good but not great. Followed the recipe exactly. We felt that it needed more flavor - I think that whatever your favorite herbs and/or spices are should be added generously to give this some personality. Also need to cut back the liquid - maybe a cup and a half instead of 2 cups of broth.

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Simple Braised Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you cook potatoes in a pan without boiling them first? ›

How do you know when fried potatoes are done? It takes about 20 minutes for the potatoes to be tender (which is about the same amount of time it would take for the water to come up to a boil and for the potatoes to cook in it, therefore there's no need to incorporate boiling into the process).

What's the healthiest way to cook potatoes? ›

Cook potatoes by boiling, steaming or microwaving them without adding other ingredients. Preparing potatoes in this manner will ensure that they are very low in salt, sugar and fat. 3. Another method of cooking potato the healthy way is to cook it with its skin this provides fiber to the body.

How long should I cook potatoes for? ›

Boiled Potatoes Time Guide

Larger pieces (about 2 inches across) may need longer, around 15 minutes. Medium whole potatoes should boil 20 minutes before they'll be tender. Even larger potatoes, such as those that are baking potato size, may need 25 to 30 minutes.

What happens if I soak potatoes before boiling? ›

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

What happens if you don't wash potatoes before boiling? ›

Rinsing potatoes helps remove excess starch, so it is recommended to rinse the potatoes before cooking. To ensure even more starch is out of the way, it's recommended that they even be quickly rinsed after boiling.

What is the healthiest oil to cook potatoes in? ›

Generally, olive oil, avocado oil, and canola oil are healthful for cooking with. Sunflower oil may be good for shallow frying. Oil reaches its smoking point once it starts to smoke and break down. Once it passes the smoking point, it releases free radicals that can cause damage to cells in the body.

What's the best way to eat potatoes for weight loss? ›

Try them baked or steamed

To keep potatoes low in calories and fat, experts recommend baking, boiling or steaming them. It's a strategy that worked well for Mackenzie Scaccetti! She lost 110 pounds on Jenny Craig, eating lots of loaded baked potatoes with vegetables.

Why are twice cooked potatoes better for you? ›

Double cooking involves cooking potatoes first, then cooling them, and then cooking them again. This process increases the amount of resistant starch in the potatoes, making them easier to digest and improving their nutritional value.

How do restaurants prep potatoes? ›

Preparation: Potatoes may be prepped in advance by peeling, slicing, or dicing them, reducing the cooking time significantly. 2. Parboiling: This involves partially cooking the potatoes in boiling water before finishing them in the oven, on the grill, or in a fryer. Parboiling reduces the overall cooking time.

Can I freeze potatoes? ›

You absolutely can freeze potatoes, and you should if you have an excess of spuds. But there's one important thing to remember: You should really only freeze cooked or partially cooked potatoes, as raw potatoes contain a lot of water. This water freezes and, when thawed, makes the potatoes mushy and grainy.

Should you boil potatoes before frying them? ›

Do I need to boil my potatoes first? Trust us: You seriously don't need to boil these spuds (or pre-cook them at all) before pan-frying. Slicing them thin allows them to cook through in the same amount of time that they need to get brown and crispy on the outside.

Do you have to boil potatoes before boiling? ›

For most potato dishes it's important to add the potatoes to cold water and allow the water to come to a boil with the potatoes in the water. The potato starch can react as soon as it comes in contact with hot water, which will promote uneven cooking and mealy potatoes.

Should I pre boil potatoes before baking? ›

You don't need to, but if you like really crispy potatoes, there's a method that requires a few minutes of pre-cooking. Basically, you put the potatoes into already boiling water for a few minutes to soften up the outside. Then drain, add some fat and flavourings, and with the lid on briefly shake and rotate the pot.

How do you soften potatoes before pan frying? ›

Bring to a boil over high; boil 5 minutes. Drain; spread potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet lined with paper towels. Let stand 10 minutes. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering.

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