Saturday, March 21, 2009

Wrinkled potatoes with mojo verde

When we ate at The Bazaar by Jose Andres, I did have one rule. I didn’t want to order anything on the menu that was also featured in his cookbooks. I decided I would rather make those dishes at home. The night we were there, one of the more popular menu items was wrinkled potatoes with green mojo, which also happens to be in his Made in Spain cookbook.

This is actually a very simple recipe – potatoes are cooked in highly salted water until tender. After they’re cooked through, the water is poured off and a thin layer of salt crystallizes on the outside of the potatoes. They’re called wrinkled potatoes because the skins of the potatoes get wrinkled during the cooking process. The potatoes are served with a brightly flavored sauce of cilantro, garlic and olive oil.

The recipe in the book says that you can use any small potatoes. At the restaurant, it looked like they were using small fingerling potatoes, so I went with some great fingerlings that I picked up at the farmer’s market.

The measurements in this recipe are a little shocking. Almost a cup of salt for one pound of potatoes? I’m pretty daring, but even I was a bit nervous about dumping that much salt into the pot. I decided to throw caution to the wind, and it worked out just fine. The potatoes came out with a very thin layer of salt on them, which was the perfect amount. The cooking process makes the potatoes very creamy, and the green mojo made for a great dipping sauce.


Wrinkled potatoes with mojo verde
Serves 3-4
Adapted from Made in Spain

For the potatoes:
1 lb fingerling or other small potatoes
3/4 cup kosher salt

For the mojo verde:
1 small clove of garlic, crushed
1 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sherry vinegar
salt to taste

Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with water and add the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes for about 25 minutes, or until tender.

Pour out most of the water, leaving just a thin layer in the bottom of the pot. Return the pot to the stovetop. Shake the pot over low heat until the salt covering the potatoes starts to crystallize, about 3-5 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and cover the pot with a paper towel until the potato skins have wrinkled, about 10 minutes.

Put all of the ingredients for the mojo verde into a food processor. Pulse until a paste forms. Serve the potatoes with the mojo for dipping.

91 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, as a true lover of potatoes, I adore this recipe. I'll have to try this technique as I also love salt. Im willing to try the one cup.

Pearl said...

wow one cup of salt? you ARE brave! and what a cool dish, thank you for sharing.

what did you end up getting at the restaurant?

LaDue & Crew said...

This sounds SO good! I can't wait to try them. I have to say, again, that your blog and pics look amazing!

Julia said...

I wonder if cooking the potatoes unpeeled helps protect them from absorbing too much salt. Or rather, you need that much salt to penetrate the skin and season the flesh.

Either way, the potatoes and mojo verde look great!

Donna-FFW said...

This recipe leaves me wanting .. I adore fingerlings and its hard to find them here. I have a few recipes saved for when they come around, this is now added to the pile. Sounds delicious! I envy your choices of fruits and veggies!

Netts Nook said...

Sara The potatoes look great I am like you I don't know about all of the salt. Good thing my blood pressure is on the low side. Looks yummy.

Anonymous said...

These potatoes sound awesome with salsa verde! Definitely something to try!

Deeba PAB said...

What a great idea.This technique sounds wonderful & I love the mojo verde...I think I shall try the cup of salt bravely!

Heather S-G said...

These look so awesome! I remember seeing him make them (seems like it was on the Martha Stewart Show?) and thinking how great they looked. Yum!

Cathy said...

I love salt...hands down I'll always choose salty over sweet. This looks like a fun recipe - I may try it with nugget potatoes as fingerlings are hard to find here.

Jennifer said...

I have heard of this technique, but also have been afraid of the amount of salt! Now that you have taken the plunge, maybe I shall try it!

Foodie with Little Thyme! said...

I've been cooking from a "tapas" cookbook and it has a recipe for Wrinkled Potatoes. I'll have to give them a try now.

Barbara Bakes said...

I definitely think you were brave to try a cup of salt. My daughter loves salty potato chips. I may have to try this!

James said...

These are a meal in themselves - they're so moreish you don't want anything else. Have been looking for a recipe for years - thanks for this. In the Canary Islands, funnily enough, they're called Canary Potatoes.

How did the corned beef and cabbage go?

teresa said...

What a great idea, our family would love this!

Kerstin said...

What a cool technique. Great flavors too - yum!

Anonymous said...

I would have been apprehensive too about 1 cup of salt. But if you say it was good I think I will give it a try. The salsa verde sounds yummy with fingerlings.

Sara said...

Pearl - I did a recap of our meal here: http://saraskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/weekend-in-la-part-1.html

Julia - I really expected them to be on the salty side, but the flavor was pretty mellow, so it must not penetrate much past the skin.

Donna - Can you find baby red potatoes or something similar? Any small potatoes will work.

Girlichef - I saw him on Martha too!

James - The corned beef and cabbage was great!

Anonymous said...

I love the sauce you made with that. I'm going to have to try that!

Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Anonymous said...

sounds delicious : )
love potatoes!!

Shari@Whisk: a food blog said...

Wow, that is a lot of salt! They sound delicious!

Dewi said...

Sara, this mojo verde sounds so delicious.
Cheers,
elra

NKP said...

They sound fabulous! I am a salt gal, this is right up my alley.

Anonymous said...

I just went to the supermarket to get my daughter ingredients for her science project, which, of course, is a dessert (don't ask). On sale were NY steaks for $2.99 a pound (!!!). I bought potatoes to go with...and have some cilantro left from my Mexican Lime Soup I made for guests on Friday night. Perfect! Thanks.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

I love potatoes and mojo verde! A delicious dish!

Cheers,

Rosa

Sean said...

Look how delicious and green that mojo verde is! Mmm

Reeni said...

A cup of salt does sound downright scary. But the results are wonderful. They look delicious paired with that tasty mojo verde!

Megan said...

I love the layer of salt on these potatoes. I'll take your word on the salt thing and give these a try!

White on Rice Couple said...

Count us in the fingerling fanatic bunch. Love those little spuds. I'd totally have balked at the cup of salt, too. Did you taste the water before throwing in the potatoes? Was salty like the ocean? Thanks for sharing. Todd

Christina Kim said...

Jose Andres, one of my heroes. I love the simplicity of this dish, very peasant-feeling. Plus I love cilantro, my fave herb!

Anonymous said...

Interesting technique with the 1 cup of salt! I'd love to give this a try and good to hear that it all worked out (I would have been nervous too) :)

Unknown said...

Great post! I love the ease and simplicity of this recipe! It sounds like it'd be delicious. Now if only I can find some fingerling potatoes.

Unknown said...

The "mojo verde" has such a pretty color! And wrinkled potatoes, :) , that sounds so funny!

Heather said...

wow - i'm so intrigued! these look delicious!

Anonymous said...

this sounds great!!

Half Baked said...

I just bought a large bag of fingerling potatoes and this recipe sounds soo good! I can't wait to give it a try. Great recipe. Thanks for sharing!

Maris said...

These sound good! I bet the mojo verde would be good with steak, too.

Maria said...

That is a lot of salt, wow! Interesting dish here!

Claudia said...

My daughter is a salt-o-holic so she would cheer. I think this will work. Need a break from pasta and rice and looks scrumptious with the sauce.

Lori said...

Yes, it does sound real simple AND REAL delicious. That would be totally comforting and yummy.

Diana said...

I would NEVER think to do fingerlings this way. You continue to inspire me!

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

What a great recipe. Looks so good.

Selba said...

The mojo verde sounds incredible! :)

Unknown said...

What a fascinating recipe. I would be intimidated by the salt addition too. This seems simple yet interesting to serve. You made it look awesome. Very nice pictures.

Bharti said...

I really like the sound of that mojo verde.

Anonymous said...

what fun! This restaurant looks awesome. I love the website, too.

I bet these potatoes are awesome. when i worked at a restaurant in Philadelphia, the chef would dump almost 3/4 of a box of kosher salt into a pot (a very large pot, but still) filled with potatoes and water. They were the best potatoes ever and amazingly not too salty.

This sauce sounds awesome, too. Will make soon!

tamilyn said...

Those sound so tasty. I'm a spud lover too, so I will have to try this out. A cup of salt??! Holy Moly Rocky. Well, in the name of research, I'll have to do it :0

Elyse said...

Mmm, wrinkled potatoes sound totally delicious. I love that combination of spud and salt! I can't wait to try this recipe!

Emily said...

This sounds amazing! I love mojo.

The Blonde Duck said...

I love potatoes! Yum!

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

I love potatoes and thanks for passing on another way for me to enjoy one of my favorite sides!

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

This sounds like a great recipe - I love potatoes. Looks simple too.

Come over to my kitchen when you get a chance. I have an award to share with you.
Sam

Robin said...

I have made these before and just dipped them in butter. But I like your sauce better!

Anonymous said...

The mojo verde looks amazing! I want to try this.

Vanessa said...

This looks amazing! Thanks for posting it! :)

Culinary Wannabe said...

I love that you actually dip the potatoes! I've never seen a presentation like that before.

Katrina said...

Love fingerlings and LOVE cilantro, I'll bet this is great. I like salt, too!

Deborah said...

This sounds sooo good! And your photos are beautiful!

vanillasugarblog said...

I am always up for trying a new sauce! I love sauces for dipping, for sandwiches, for broiling, for baking, oh yes indeed. I think I would love this one too.

Kiezie said...

Wow, these look great! I love fingerlings and I love finding new ways to use them!

Passionate Eater said...

That amount of salt does sound a little intimidating, but I am glad it came out creamy and perfectly salty!

Debbie said...

Wow, what a great recipe. I will try this. Very different!!!

FH said...

That's dip is beautiful, similar to our Cilantro chaat chutney, great color! :)

stephchows said...

Salt potatoes are HUGE up here in upstate NY, I had never heard of them before I moved up here. The full cup of salt is scary though!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, what an interesting recipe! I just found you and I'm enjoying your recipes. Thanks so much for what you share

The Duo Dishes said...

That mojo could have so many uses. It seems like it would smell amazing.

Anonymous said...

Love this recipe - I love anything with cilantro!

cindy* said...

these look fantastic. i've been making oven fries often lately...these will be a welcome reprieve.

Anonymous said...

Oooh, better than ketchup! And believe me, that's saying something. ;)

La Bella Cooks said...

I definitely want to try this recipe now. Looks fantastic!

Annie said...

They looks super! And salt does make everything taste better. I tend to under salt. So I probably would have stopped a 1/4 cup, but good for you.
Glad they were yummy!

priscilla joy said...

i love potatoes. your recipe looks fantastic!

Sweet Cheeks said...

I am planning a tapas dinner party... do you think this would be good for that?

Jan said...

I don't use salt in cooking, a little tad in baking if absolutely necessary - but I don't bake very often. This recipe sounds amazing, but I really couldn't bring myself to use all that salt.

MaryBeth said...

This looks amazing Sara....My husband would flip for this, he loves cilantro...

Femin Susan said...

I have heard of this technique. thanks for sharing

Sarah said...

These look fabulous!!!

Nancy/n.o.e said...

There's a similar regional dish in central New York called salt potatoes - but without the sauce. They serve it with lots of butter. I made it back in the early Fall, but I love the way that green sauce looks!
Nancy

Irene said...

That is a really daring recipe! It is so simple, but you need mojo to really go for it. I like that. :)

Karin W. said...

Papas arrugadas...I had this potato dish with 'mojo rojo' and 'mojo verde' in a cave restaurant in Gran Canaria many years ago. It's delicioius. The first known inhabitants of the Canary Islands boiled their potatoes in sea water.

Maggie said...

The flavors in the mojo sound wonderful! This would be great party food.

Karen Brown Letarte said...

What a fabulous recipe! It sounds perfect with fingerling potatoes. The mojo sauce looks good, too; I really love the hard-core Cubano version with tons of lime and garlic, but you do smell like garlic for a week afterwards. Is this Jose Andres of Cafe Atlantico and Zaytinya fame? (2 of my favoritest restaurants in DC.)

:) K

Amanda said...

The amount of salt reminds me of 'salt potatoes,' which are a particular delicacy here in the Syracuse, NY area. You cook small new potatoes in very salty water. They're delicious!

I love the addition of the vinegary dipping sauce. Yum!

Olga said...

wow, that is quite a bit of salt, but looks like such a good recipe!

Varsha Vipins said...

Thats quite a unique recipe Sara..Loved it..:)

Deb in Hawaii said...

They sound wonderful. I would have been nervous about all the salt too but it looks like it works. Tthe mojo verde looks incredible!

Sara said...

White on Rice - I didn't taste the water, if I had, I might have called the whole thing off!

Mommy Gourmet - These would be perfect for a tapas dinner.

Karen - Same Jose Andres that you're referring to.

Melissa said...

That mojo is a must. I can taste it just looking at it. And I'm glad the salt worked out to be just a nice layer on top. So good on potatoes anyway. Have you ever tried roasting in an entire pan of rock salt? That's interesting too.

leslie said...

thanks for sharing this recipe!
i made them last night and they were wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Sara, thanks for this recipe. My family and I had dinner at The Bazaar in Beverly Hills on Sunday, where we all enjoyed these potatoes. Thanks to you, I made the recipe tonight and found that the potatoes were exactly the same as at the restaurant; however the amount of olive oil called for in the sauce was excessive. The sauce should be about the consistency of mayonnaise, but 1/4 cup of olive oil made mine runny (I simply poured off about half of it). You can always add more olive oil if the consistency is too thick. I would also caution everyone to use only the small clove of garlic the recipe calls for. Even using a small clove gives this sauce a strong garlic taste.

Thanks again, Sara.

Juan Kerr said...

Please, all of you worrying about the salt, don't. This is a dish from the Canary Islands of Spain, (called papas arrugadas con mojo) and originally the islanders used seawater to boil the potatoes. The salt does not penetrate the skin of the potato, but leaves a tasty salty residue on the skin. Most of the salt gets thrown out with the water, but you do need that amount of salt, otherwise you miss out on the salty skin. We normally dissolve as much salt as is possible in the boiling water. Bon apetito.