POTATOES LYONNAISE

Good Morning to you,

If there is such a thing as a "potato addict", then I think those two words certainly describe me.  Yes, it is true, I really am, a "potato addict". I just love their taste, and I love their versatility and I just love eating them, any which way they are served.  

For instance,

I love,

 potatoes which are mashed with butter and milk.

I love,

 Dauphinoise potatoes, which are creamy and garlicky.

I love,

 potatoes which are fried as chips or as pomme frittes.

I love,

 potatoes mixed with spices.

I love,

 early new potatoes simply boiled with a

 sprig or two of mint and dressed with a little butter.

I love

 potatoes which are roasted until they are

 crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle.

I love

 potatoes which are baked in their jackets,

 then mixed with cheese, avocado and a little sour cream

.... and if there are any other potato dishes which I have missed from my list.... I will say it now.... I know I will love them as well.

There, I'll say it loud and I will say it proud...... My name is Daphne and I am A Potato Addict.

I think you get the gist now.

So with my love of potatoes declared to the world, today we are going to be making,

Potatoes Lyonnaise.... and they are really delicious and the added bonus is, they are so simple to make.

So it's on with the pinnie and the music I am listening to today is, 

the beautiful voice of Gwyneth Herbert.  I love Peggy Lee's version of "Fever", but listen to Gwyneth singing "Fever"... you will love it also.  "So in Love"  and "Falling For You" are fabulous to listen to. I often listen to this album when I am sewing or beading.... I just enjoy it so much.

Now, it is time to organise the ingredients,

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

1.5kg potatoes

1 large onion

2-3 cloves of garlic 
(depending on your taste)

30g of unsalted butter

5 tablespoonfuls of olive oil

1 teaspoonful of sea salt

to crush the garlic

HOW TO MAKE

POTATOES LYONNAISE

Peel the potatoes

and 

place the whole potatoes in a pan.

Add

enough salted water to cover the potatoes.

Place a lid on the pan

and bring the water to the boil.

Reduce the heat

and

par-boil the potatoes for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat
and

drain the water.

Allow the potatoes to cool.

Meanwhile

slice the onions

and

place 2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil

into a wide pan 

and

brown the onions.

Whilst the onions are browning,

slice the cooled potatoes ... not finely but about 5mm,

because you want the slices of potato

to hold their shape when browned.

When all the potatoes are sliced, set aside.

Once the onions are browned

add

the crushed garlic

and

cook for 2 minutes,

then remove the pan from the heat

and set aside.

Now it is time to brown the sliced potatoes.

In a separate pan

 using a medium heat

melt

30g of butter

and 

add 3 tablespoonfuls of olive oil

Place enough of the sliced potatoes, 

to cover the bottom of the pan

and cook until golden brown,

then turn the potatoes and cook

on the other side.

As each batch cooks, place on a plate

while you carry on browning the rest of the potatoes.

When all the potatoes are browned,

return the pan with the onions and garlic

to a medium heat.

Add the browned potatoes.

Using  two forks

gently toss the potatoes with the onions and garlic.

Be careful when you do this

as you do not want to break the potato slices.

I took about 4 minutes to do this as I wanted

to make sure all the potatoes were 

coated with the onions and garlic,

also to ensure the onions were warm.

Remove from the heat

and

Enjoy.

The usual way to make Potatoes Lyonnaise is to slice raw potatoes and then simmer gently in salted water, for 10 minutes, but whenever I have used this method, the potatoes fall apart.  I know what the problem is.... I like to use a floury potato which allows for crispy bits when cooked.  So to use  a floury potato, I find par-boiling them whole first, and allowing the potatoes to cool, lets me slice the potatoes without them falling to pieces as they are still quite firm. 

You might find you will need a little more butter, but I found 30g was just enough.  I mix the butter and the olive oil together, because the butter adds a nice flavour and the olive oil stops the butter from burning.

Now that my love of potatoes has been declared, I think you will find a few more potato recipes creeping into my cooking repertoire.

Take care and I will see you on Wednesday.

This week I will be joining,

Anyonita at Anyonita Nibbles