Accounting for Taste

Yummy, right? Inspired by a recipe from “Falastin” a cookbook by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley, these Spicy Roasted Potatoes with Cumin, Lemon and Cilantro are chock-full of bold flavors. Milk Street made some adjustments to the original and created the following adaptation. Loving all things potatoes—and robust flavors—these spuds caught my attention immediately.

A couple of notations that are worth heeding: So the seasonings don’t scorch in the high heat of the 475°F oven, toss them into the potatoes about two-thirds of the way into cooking. For more heat, leave the seeds in some or all of the chiles. (We used jalapeños, but I did seed them.) A perfect pairing with our reverse-seared strip steak entrée, the potato recipe was halved for just two of us.

Halfway through the meal Russ asked me where the recipe originated from. When I read the excerpt for Milk Street Magazine and mentioned the title of the cookbook “Falastin” he immediately recognized the name because he had heard about it on a podcast and subsequently added to his Christmas wish list. And yes, he did receive it as a gift—he just hadn’t had an opportunity to go through the recipes.

Don’t forget to oil the baking sheet with cooking spray to ensure the potatoes won’t stick to the surface.

Spicy Roasted Potatoes with Cumin, Lemon and Cilantro

Servings: 4-6
Time: 40 min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

3 lbs. medium Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, quartered lengthwise then cut crosswise into 1-inch chunks
3 Tbsp., plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3-4 Fresno or jalapeño chilies, stemmed, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
8 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. cumin seeds, crushed
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges to serve
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the middle position.
Mist a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 3 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Transfer to the baking sheet, arranging the pieces cut side down in a single layer; reserve the bowl.
Roast until light golden brown and a skewer inserted into the potatoes meets just a little resistance, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in the reserved bowl, stir together the remaining ¼ cup oil, the chilies, garlic, cumin and coriander.
When the potatoes are almost tender, use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to the reserved bowl; leave the oven on. Gently toss the potatoes until well combined with the seasonings, then scrape the mixture back onto the baking sheet and distribute in an even layer. Roast until the garlic is light golden brown and a skewer inserted into the potatoes meets no resistance, another 10 to 15 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the lemon zest and cilantro over the potatoes, then toss. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve with lemon wedges.