Mustard-roasted potatoes

By Tali Simon | August 17, 2012

Any food scientists out there?

Until today, I’d been having the most peculiar problem with my mustard-roasted potatoes. They just took forever to cook. And even when they’d been left in the oven at a high temperature for eons and eons, they still weren’t soft enough on the inside.

Weird, right?

Also frustrating. So much that I decided to leave mustard-roasted potatoes alone for awhile in favor of other potato-centric things. Like crispy potato zucchini tarts. And utterly perfect potato kugel. And of course, the world’s best (classic) roasted potatoes.

In the end, that was what saved me, those classic taters. Because if the parboiling method did such a nice job over there, why not here?

…Exactly. Problem solved!

These mustard-roasted potatoes are deliciously soft on the inside. They’ve also got a nice crisp thing going on outside, though not quite as crispy as my classic potatoes tend to turn out. But to make up for it, they’re packed with mustard goodness. The flavor manages to be gentle and robust at the same time.

How? Don’t ask me. Just try them, and you’ll see.

…Or go find some food scientists. They’d probably know.

One year ago: Butternut squash kugel

Mustard-roasted potatoes
Based on my best roasted potatoes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

9 smallish potatoes, peeled and cut in bite-size pieces
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp mustard
salt, to taste
cooking spray

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and fill with cold water to cover by one inch. Preheat oven to 410 F/210 C with the rack in the upper third of the oven.

2. Bring water to a boil over high heat. As soon as it reaches a boil, lower flame to medium/low and cook for five minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together 1/3 cup oil, lemon juice, and mustard until smooth.

3. Pour remaining 2 Tbsp oil into a 9×13 baking dish and tilt it back and forth to spread the oil across the bottom of the dish. Place the dish in the oven to start heating the oil (5 minutes).

4. When the timer goes off for the potatoes, drain and return them to the pot, then (wearing an oven mitt) shake the pot vigorously back and forth several times to loosen the outsides of the potatoes. They should look something like the middle picture in this post.

5. Remove the dish from the oven and add potatoes to it. The oil should be hot enough that it gently sizzles as it comes in contact with the potatoes. Pour mustard dressing over potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and roast 30 minutes, stirring at the 15-minute mark.

6. At the 30-minute mark, briefly remove the dish from the oven to spray generously with cooking spray, then return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes of roasting. Let cool 5 minutes and serve.