Riffling through the latest Saveur 100 List, my eye was riveted by No. 94—a short but rhapsodic piece by Madhur Jaffrey on the wonders of turmeric.
In “Super Spice,” the actress and Indian cookbook author raves about the culinary and medicinal properties of turmeric, praising the “pungently woody, earthy aroma” it adds to salads, relishes and curry pastes as well as its near miraculous ability to heal inflammation. “I use turmeric sparingly in cooking,” she writes, “often dusting it on fish along with salt and red chili powder.”
I was thinking about this warm spice blend a few days later while reading “Spain’s Hot Potatoes,” (The Wall Street Journal, January 19, 2008, p. W4). William R. Snyder tracks the frenetic competition among Barcelona tapas bars for the most delectable patatas bravas, or fried potatoes. Normally the potatoes are served with two sauces, one white with garlic, the other red and spicy. But I had another idea. Why not dredge potatoes in turmeric, red pepper and salt, and then deep fry them?
Why not indeed? Fried potatoes seasoned with a whisper—or a full-fledged shout—of Indian spice are absolutely delicious The amount of turmeric and red pepper is up to you, as is the shape of the potatoes: sliced or cubed--cubes won a narrow victory at my table--or even cut like French fries. The turmeric turns the potatoes the most beautiful golden hue, and the chili and salt add zing to the luscious taste of earthy potatoes sizzled in peanut oil.
It’s easy to make your own Indian spice mix—just combine a tablespoon of ground turmeric and a teaspoon of red pepper—I like ground Kashmiri chilies, but you could also use cayenne—and a teaspoon of slightly granular sea salt, or kosher salt. Be sure to soak the potatoes in ice water for a least an hour before you fry, and to fry them twice, for the potatoes that are crisp on the outside and fluffy inside.
All these ingredients come from the slow pantry, by the way. This is the kind of dish I love—a last minute decision made easy by items you have on hand. B and I had the potatoes for breakfast this morning, with eggs scrambled with tomatoes and scallions. But there are dozens of other dishes they might accompany.
Incidentally, there is a tasty recipe in Ruta Kahate’s 5 Spices, 50 Dishes for pan fried fish: Firm white fish fillets are dusted with turmeric, cayenne and salt, then fried in canola oil until golden brown. This very same seasoning mixture is sold at Boulette's Larder in San Francisco as “Instant Easy Effect.”
Fried Potatoes with Turmeric, Kashmiri Chilies and Sea Salt
To serve 4
Ingredients for the spice mix:
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground Kashmiri chilies, or cayenne
1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
Combine the spices and salt in a small bowl and stir well to combine.
Ingredients for the potatoes:
2 large russet potatoes
2 teaspoons of the spice mix (as above), or to taste
1-1/2 to 2 cups peanut oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2 inch cubes. Put them in a large bowl with cold water to cover. Add a dozen ice cubes to further chill the water and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. When you are ready to cook, drain the potatoes in a colander. Spread them out on clean dish towels or thick layers of paper towels and dry them thoroughly on all sides.
3. Heat about 1/2 inch peanut oil in a large cast iron frying pan over a medium flame.
4. While the oil is heating, put the potatoes in a large bowl, add the spice mixture and toss. Be sure that the potatoes are dusted with the mixture on all sides.
5. When the oil reaches a temperature of about 315 degrees, or a small piece of potato sizzles lazily, put 1/3 of the potatoes in the hot oil. Fry gently for about 4 minutes, until the surface of the potatoes is blistered and just beginning to turn brown. If they brown too fast, turn down the heat. Drain the potatoes on thick layers of paper towels.
6. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes, frying in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. If necessary, reheat the oil between batches.
7. When all the potatoes have been fried the first time, turn the heat up until the oil reaches a temperature of about 365 degrees. Again, cooking in batches, fry the potatoes for about 3 minutes until they are a deep golden brown. Remove and drain on a fresh layer of paper towels. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and serve at once, with more of the turmeric spice mixture on the side.