Sunday, August 24, 2008

maryland style breakfast potatoes

marylanders put old bay on almost everything. as a state, we feel that most food (crabs in particular) are only authentic if they have a heavy handed sprinkle of this regional spice mixture. when my brother was in the army, we had to ship tins of it to him so that he could sprinkle it on the food in the mess hall. in short, we take old bay very seriously around here.

though not as popular as say chili powder, old bay is growing in recognition, and is now widely available throughout the states. it is the key ingredient in this dish, and though you could make these potatoes with a different spice mixture, the old bay makes them really special. if you can get your hands on some, give these a try.

ingredients:
4 medium yukon gold potatoes
1 large sweet onion (i use vidalia or mayan sweets)
4 cloves of finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
1-2 tablespoons of old bay seasoning
salt to taste
olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter

directions:
in a large heavy skillet heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. chop the onions and potatoes into large chunks (about 1/4"). add the onions and the finely minced garlic to the pan. sprinkle some salt over and sweat until they are glassy. sprinkle over with some old bay, (about 1/2 a tablespoon to start) then add the potatoes. sprinkle in the poultry seasoning and cook on medium heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often.
once the potatoes have had a chance to soften, add about 1 more tablespoon of old bay to them, and add in the butter. once the butter has melted and the potatoes are coated in it, turn the heat up to medium high and brown the potatoes. stir these often, and once browned, top off with a little more old bay and serve with breakfast.
enjoy!

notes: these potatoes are really good and very versatile. we serve them with dinner sometimes, and they always seem to be a big hit. you can use pretty much any kind of potato you want, but the yukons are nice in this as they soften really easily. if you use something more firm you may need to increase the length of the first cooking step.

2 comments:

Jenny said...

Mmmm, these potatoes sound terrific and look amazing. I'm ready to make a batch tomorrow!

Live.Love.Eat said...

Gosh, potatoes & Old Bay. Love both. These look awesome!