Paprika Browned Potatoes

By Mariealicerayner @MarieRynr
 One thing my family has always been fond of is fried potatoes.  This is a love that goes way back to when I was actually a child and my mother would make them for us.  
This recipe I am sharing today comes from an old clipping that I have in my big blue binder for paprika fried potatoes.  I know that I clipped it out of a magazine, but I couldn't tell you which one. Sorry about that!
 The only difference between these and the fried potatoes, or pan fries my mother used to make is the addition of paprika.  Everything else is pretty much the same.
This is a fabulous recipe for using up leftover cold potatoes.  In fact I often boil extra potatoes when I am cooking them just so that I can make these. When these are on the menu, everyone is happy!
 They make a great side dish any time of the year.  Winter, spring, summer, fall.  I can't think of a season where these delicious potatoes would not be welcome.
What's more they go with everything and with any meal.  Breakfast, lunch, supper  . . .  meat, fish poultry.  You name it, these make a great side dish! 
 
The other day I cooked half a recipe and served them with my Amish Chicken & Stuffing for two.  They went down a real treat!
Then I used the leftovers the day after to make a chicken hash which I served with my Boston Brown Bread Muffins. Once again, a brilliant combination.
 You can cook potatoes specifically to use in this dish, or you can use leftover boiled potatoes. Both work well.  I hate waste, so they really are a great way to prevent this from happening.
Ideally you want to cook your potatoes the day before so that you can pop them into the refrigerator and chill them overnight.  Its not that hard to boil potatoes. 
 You will want to use a good all-purpose potato. One which will hold its shape when you are frying them. A salad potato also works well.  What you don't want to use are mashing potatoes.
These have a tendency to fall apart and break up. They will still taste good, but won't be as aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and we eat first with our eyes, right?
 To boil potatoes, place them into a saucepan of lightly salted cold water. (Unpeeled.) You want the water to cover them by at least an inch over the top.  Bring the water to the boil.
Then reduce to a quick simmer and cook them for 15 to 20 minutes, lightly covered (lid ajar) just until you can pierce the potatoes easily with the tip of a fork.  You don't want them hard, nor do you want them falling apart, or the skins splitting. 
 The time it takes depends on the size of your potatoes.  Larger potatoes will obviously take a bit longer.  I recommend medium sized potatoes.  
I find that when you use larger potatoes, the outsides can cook well before the middle of them. This is not really ideal.  Moderation works here.
 You want to drain them immediately. Don't let them sit in the water soaking it up. You don't want soggy, water logged potatoes.  I drain them and then return them to the pot, shaking the pan over the residual heat of the burner to dry them out a bit more. 
Then I tip them out onto a clean tea towel and let them cool until I can handle them.  I pop them into a zip lock baggie or container and then put them in the refrigerator to cool, ideally overnight.
 
The colder the potato the easier they are to peel and to slice.  You can leave the peels on, but I prefer to remove  them off for this recipe.
I cut them about 1/3 of an inch thick.  You don't want them overly thick and you don't want them overly thin.  Obviously if you cut them too thick you don't get that many slices, and if you cut them too thin, they will fall apart when you are turning them over.
 
I always use real butter.  Mom always did and that is what we were used to.  Dear mom, she would stand at the stove for what seemed like hours frying potatoes for us.  We could never get enough of them.
They were quite simply a rare treat and one of our favorite things to eat!!  My first mother in law fried her potatoes in rendered salt pork, also delicious!
 The paprika in these is what really gives them a nice golden brown color.  It doesn't really impart much of a flavor. If you were to use a smoked paprika or a hot paprika that would change the flavor.
I much prefer them just as is. You don't need to add the pinch of sugar if you don't want to, but I always have done. I think it helps them to achieve an even nicer browning, but I could be wrong, and often am!
 They have a beautiful color, with lightly crisped edges. You can taste the butter, yes . . .  but over all it is the flavor of the potato which shines through.
Earthy and rich.  Have I told you the potato is my favorite vegetable?

If I could only bring one vegetable with me to a deserted Island it would be the potato. They are such a versatile ingredient.  Fabulous on their own or on the side of just about anything you put them with.
The cooking water can be used to make breads.  You can make a kind of a yeast with them. You can make alcohol with them. Not that I have, but I know that you can.  Specifically Vodka. But you can make any kind.
 
Boiled, baked, fried, mashed.  In soups or in stews.  Cold in salads. Soup.  Incredibly versatile is the humble potato.  The stomachs of armies have marched on them.
This beautifully starchy vegetable is a staple in much of the world. I wouldn't really want to be without them.

I really hope you will give this simple and easy recipe a go.  If you like potatoes, you will love these! There is nothing fancy about them, but they are incredibly tasty. 
Quick, easy, economical and amazingly delicious.  What more could you want in a side dish???    

Paprika Browned Potatoes

Yield: 4Author: Marie RaynerPrep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 MinOne word. Delicious.

Ingredients

  • 5 medium potatoes, boiled, cooled, peeled
  • 3 TBS butter
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • pinch sugar

Instructions

  1. Thinly slice the potatoes, about 1/3 of an inch thick.
  2. Melt the butter in a large skillet.   Heat until it begins to foam.
  3. Add the sliced potatoes.  Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, paprika and sugar.
  4. Mix well and brown over medium low heat until the potatoes are warmed through, crispy in spots and reddish brown in color. (about 15 - 20 minutes)
  5. Serve hot.
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