potatoes, garlic and coriander
If you find yourself with coriander past its best and potatoes from the bottom of the potato bag, read on….
This Lebanese marriage of garlic and coriander with fried potatoes is a simple way of transforming ordinary ingredients which might otherwise not get a second glance on the dinner plate. It may seem decadent to fry potatoes in extra virgin olive oil but in fact it merely adds to the health benefits of this mediterranean dish.
ingredients
2 large potatoes, (500g) scrubbed, diced into approx 2cm
4 garlic cloves, crushed with half a tsp of salt
a bunch of coriander (25g), leaves and stalks chopped finely
90ml extra virgin olive oil
salt
method
1. Parboil the diced potatoes for 5 minutes in gently simmering salted water. Drain in a colander and put to one side to let the steam disperse before frying.
2. Crush the garlic cloves with 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a pestle and mortar (or use a knife with some salt on a board).
3. Pick over the bunch of coriander taking out any yellow leaves, and slice the leaves and stalks finely.
4. In a frying pan, warm 3 tablespoons (75ml) of the extra virgin olive oil on a low heat, and add the cooked potatoes. Leave to colour for about 5 minutes before turning them. Continue until the potatoes are golden brown all over. Remove to a dish – to keep the crispness of the potaotes, don’t cover.
5. In the same frying pan, with the heat very low, add the rest of the oil, then the crushed garlic, stirring quickly for 1 minute until it begins to smell fragrant. Add the coriander and move the mixture around to mix both ingredients together. You don’t want to burn the garlic or the coriander, so remove from the heat if you feel it’s too hot. Then return the fried potatoes to the pan and mix so that the potatoes are well covered. Remove from the heat to stop the coriander cooking. Taste, and add more salt if required. A squeeze of lemon is a nice touch here too.
Delicious alongside fish, roast chicken, fried eggs with sumac or as part of a mezze.