Oven Roasted Home Fries

Oven Roasted Home Fries

I'm sure I could make this dish completely at the campsite but I become a totally lazy lima bean on vac and am overjoyed to give anyone the stink eye if they talk tome too much in the morning.
So if you're like me and despise working hard in the morning give this a try:

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated Jan 2012

Serves 6 to 8

Don’t skip the baking soda in this recipe. It’s critical for home fries with just the right crispy texture.

Ingredients


3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch dice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, cut into ½-inch dice
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives(optional)
2 bell peppers,cut into ½-inch dice


Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees.

2. Bring 10 cups water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add potatoes and baking soda. Return to boil and cook for 1 minute. Drain potatoes. Return potatoes to Dutch oven and place over low heat. Cook, shaking pot occasionally, until any surface moisture has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter, 1½ teaspoons salt, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne; mix with rubber spatula until potatoes are coated with thick, starchy paste, about 30 seconds.

3. Remove baking sheet from oven and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Transfer potatoes to baking sheet and spread into even layer. Roast for 15 minutes. While potatoes roast, combine onions, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in bowl.

4. Remove baking sheet from oven. Using thin, sharp metal spatula, scrape and turn potatoes. Clear about 8 by 5-inch space in center of baking sheet and add onion mixture. Roast for 15 minutes.

5. Scrape and turn again, mixing onions into potatoes. Continue to roast until potatoes are well browned and onions are softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in chives and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Or allow home fries to cool to room temperature, then place them, still on baking tray, within freezer for an hour. Place in freezer bag(s). To reheat, take your frozen taters and shuffle them around on a dry frying pan to defrost, gradually increasing the heat to recrisp them. Add a tiny bit of oil if they start to stick, but they probably wont. They're done when they're hot.

Here's a picture of step 4:





and here's the finished dish just before entering the freezer (yes it's freezable once you let it cool to room temperature).
Would've been nice if I'd used more bell peppers but I'd only a half of one on hand:



Cook's Notes:

Use the freshest paprika you have on hand it's necessary for that NY diner taste. I'm partial to The Spice House's versions but have heard good of Penzey's. If you store your paprika in the fridge or freezer it will stay fresh longer.