The aroma of sautéed onions was always unmistakeable in our house. There was meaning behind the aroma, a hope, an expectation that delicious fried onions and potatoes would soon emerge from the kitchen with a call from mom to ‘come ‘n get it’. Imagine 3 elementary school-aged children, 2 older boys and yours truly vying for the lions share of the culinary loot. I was small, the youngest, but I could hold my own.
I present you with a simple, yet delicious Mediterranean version of this family dish. This recipe doesn’t have onions although they would be a delicious addition if you choose. This version is a fully cooked potato dish due to its two-step cooking method. No raw potatoes here, rest assured. The seasonings, olive oil, rosemary and smoked paprika is what makes it Mediterranean. Potatoes, originally from Peru, made it’s way across the pond about 400 years ago and is now a staple in most cuisines around the world, except Asia. It is even served in Antartica, although imported I assume.
I was spoiled in Texas, I know. Rosemary was a delightful weed and ground cover you could always count on, 365 days per year. A 1 quart plant purchased at a nursery turns into a 6 foot bed of deliciousness in 3 years. Drought tolerant, scorch tolerant, an absolute delight in Texas. Here in Utah, however, quite a different story. I grew it in a pot, attempted to over-winter it inside but the result was a wimpy, dormant plant that might recover and yield some aromatic deliciousness. I am not willing to risk it, I bought a new one last week, not a puny 1 pint plant but a 3 gallon dinosaur in a pot. I will use it all in the next 8 months, nurture it, baby it, give it the respect it is due. Nothing but the best fish fertilizer for my baby. That is how I feel about rosemary. This dish honors my love of all things rosemary, olive oil and smoked paprika, in fact that’s about all there is to this dish. Simple…perfect…delicious.
One more thing, if you haven’t tried out Yummly yet, head on over and search for recipes on the most dynamic, cross indexing sites available. You can search for recipes based on ingredients, time, diet etc. Best of all it’s FREE! You can follow my recipes here. Bon Appetit and Salud y’all!
Ingredients
- 4 large red potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 3 rosemary sprigs, chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbs smoked paprika
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place sliced potatoes in medium pot, cover with water over medium-high heat.
- Simmer 15 minutes or until al dente.
- Preheat oven to broil and place a rack on top rack space.
- Drain potatoes well and toss with the remaining ingredients.
- Spread potatoes on a baking sheet and broil on top rack until golden-medium brown, Toss and broil 5 more minutes.
- Remove from oven and enjoy!
