Pommes de Terre Sautées

Our favorite breakfast place in Bloomington, IN was always The Runcible Spoon. A dive to say the least, its food happily counterbalanced the general grunge of the interior. They roast their own coffee, make their own hollandaise sauce, granola, bagels and jams, and generally attract the conscientious foodies who inhabit Bloomington. They taught me to love eggs benedict and we, along with our friends, would often find the cure for late, tender mornings here.

How hard it was to choose between their amazing whole-grainy pancakes bursting with berries served with a side of smoky bacon, or the eggs benedict covered with their silky hollandaise. No matter what you chose, though, you always had to get at least a side of their potatoes. Sautéed in butter and uniquely seasoned, it baffled me for awhile what exactly made them so good. It hit me one hazy morning…curry powder! It may sound odd, but pair these potatoes beside your morning omelet and you’ll be in heaven, too. I fell in love with breakfast all over again. An amazing brunch has a special place in my heart.

No matter how you choose to season these potatoes, this is my basic method for making hash browns or “fried” potatoes of any sort. Easy and reliable! Curry powder on roasted potatoes would be delicious as well.

Sautéed Potatoes with a hint of Curry

4-5 waxy potatoes, peeled
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp curry powder

Peel and cut the potatoes in half or quarters. Place in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes in simmering water until almost done, but not quite. Drain the potatoes and let cool several minutes. Cut the potato chunks into smaller pieces according to your taste.

Melt the butter in a wide skillet and add the olive oil. When butter is hot, add the curry powder. Stir in the potatoes, tossing to coat in the butter. Spread out into a single layer, salt them, and do not disturb them for maybe 5-10 minutes, depending on how hot your skillet is. I usually peek at the underside of one potato to see how they are coming. If you leave them alone, they will be crispy. Once the potatoes seem brown enough, shake the skillet and try to flip over most of the potatoes to brown on the other side. Leave alone for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and enjoy! Serves 2-3.