Home fries salad
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When I first moved to New York, I had no context for American diner food. At our first visit, I ordered a mushroom chili burger, thinking I would receive a chili-aka-spicy portobello mushroom ‘patty’ on a burger bun. Instead, I got a beef burger topped with a spicy tex-mex stew of meat, peppers (capsicums), tomatoes, and pinto beans. I learnt the hard way.
There was also the learning curve of eggs. When asked how I would like my eggs, my naïve answer of ‘poached’ was met with blank stares. At diners, breakfast egg culture is fairly arbitrary (of course, there are exceptions) – you can order fried eggs – where you have the option of sunny side up or over easy (where the egg is flipped but the second side is heated very briefly, say 30 seconds) or scrambled (which are not at all like the velvety ‘folded’ eggs we get in Australia). There are other preparations too, but since I like my yolks soft, I never go beyond these terms.
Since the early days, I have gradually learnt to navigate the diner menu as a vegetarian. It’s not always easy. Often, the only option can be a lettuce-based salad (or a Greek salad, if I’m lucky) and French fries (or onion rings, see below). Which, to be honest, is not something I’m sad about. Spanakopita - Greek feta and spinach pie – is a frequent item on diner menus, one that I will always order if it’s available. The inclusion of Greek menu items is a testament to the area’s local cultural history - throughout much of the 20th century, diners in the Northeast were often owned and operated by Greek-American immigrant families.
To me, home fries are a diner’s most iconic dish. The seasoned diced potatoes are pan-fried (or often deep fried), with onions and peppers (capsicums), until golden and crispy. Always generously portioned, they are, like hash browns, an indulgent side to eggs and toast. Of course, I wondered what home fries could be if they were a salad. My answer is below.
Home Fries Salad
© Hetty Lui McKinnon for To Vegetables, With Love
In this week’s recipe, I turn home fries into a salad. I’ve served pan-fried seasoned potatoes, with salad leaves and chickpeas, generously finished with lemon juice. For ease of preparation, I like to use small starchy small potatoes for this recipe – they cook up fluffy and creamy inside, with a perfectly crisp exterior. However, any potatoes will work in this recipe. No peeling is required as the skin adds nice texture to the dish. If you’re using large potatoes, slice into 1-inch/2-3 cm chunks. Often potatoes will be par-boiled for home fries, but I skip this step and finish cooking the potatoes with a lid on, which allows the inside to cook all the way through.
Serves 4
extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons vegan or dairy butter (preferably salted)
1 yellow/brown onion, peeled and diced
700g (about 1 ½ pounds) small potatoes, washed, scrubbed and quartered
sea salt and black pepper
1 large garlic clove, grated or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 lemon
Spiced sour cream
125g (½ cup) vegan/dairy sour cream
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 - ½ teaspoon cayenne or chilli powder
sea salt
Salad
1 can chickpeas, drained (about 250g)
60g (2 ounces) salad leaves, spinach or arugula/rocket
2 scallions, finely sliced
extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
sea salt and black pepper
Heat a large skillet/frying pan (I use a 28cm / 11-inch cast iron pan) on medium-high and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt and black pepper and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside. Return the frypan to the stovetop.
Heat to medium-high heat again (if you pan is smaller, you may need to work in two batches). Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the potatoes, season with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and black pepper, and toss to combine. Arrange in a single layer (so every piece touches the hot surface of the pan) and cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing every 2 minutes, always making sure to arrange the potatoes onto one of the cut sides, until golden and crispy (if the potatoes start to burn too quickly, reduce heat to medium). The aim is to crisp up both cut sides of the potato.Toss the potatoes again, reduce heat to medium-low, cover with lid or large baking tray, and cook until the potatoes are crisp and completely tender, 3-5 minutes. If you have remaining potatoes, cook them now.
Place all the potatoes in the skillet, and heat on medium-low. Add the cooked onions, along with the garlic or garlic powder, smoked paprika, and oregano and toss for 1 minute, until combined, and then turn off the heat.
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper or chili powder and season well with sea salt.
To make the salad, put the chickpeas, salad leaves, and scallions in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and squeeze over some of the lemon juice. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust oil, lemon and salt, as needed.
To a large serve platter or bowl, add the salad and top with the potatoes. Gently toss and then top with dollops of the spiced sour cream and squeeze over some lemon juice. Serve any remaining lemon on the side.
This salad can be enjoyed while the potatoes are still warm and crispy, but can also be eaten at room temperature.
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When in doubt, put an egg on it and call it breakfast
Question: It's 7am in Western Australia. Could I add an egg and make this breakfast : )