Crunchy Potato Wedges with Romesco Sauce
- ACTIVE: 45 MIN
- TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 30 MIN
- SERVINGS: 8
- •HEALTHY
- •MAKE-AHEAD
- •STAFF-FAVORITE
- •VEGETARIAN
Boiling potatoes briefly before roasting them, a restaurant technique, creates an outrageously crunchy crust.
- 2 ancho chiles
- 2 cups boiling water
- 4 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
- Salt
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup salted, roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup drained piquillo peppers from a 7.6-ounce jar
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 cup pitted green olives such as Sicilian or Greek, chopped
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Put the anchos in a heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water. Set a small plate on top to keep the anchos submerged and let soak until softened, about 20 minutes. Discard the soaking liquid, stems and seeds and chop the anchos.
- Meanwhile, in a large, heavy pot, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Add a large pinch of salt and cook over moderately high heat until just tender when pierced with a knife, about 25 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly, then peel the potatoes and cut into wedges. Transfer the potatoes to 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, turn to coat and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast the potatoes on the upper and lower racks of the oven for 40 minutes, switching the pans once, until the potatoes are browned and crisp.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped almonds and cook over moderate heat, shaking the skillet a few times, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and cook until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor. Add the anchos, piquillos, garlic, tomato, parsley and vinegar and process to a coarse paste; season with salt and pepper. Spoon the romesco sauce over the potatoes, sprinkle the olives on top and serve.

Comments
Add A Comment