Pan Fried Potatoes

These were always a real favourite when I was growing up.   When my mother made these we were all very happy!  Of course she could never make enough of them!  She used to only make them if she had cold leftover boiled potatoes.  Nowadays I boil potatoes purposely just so that I can make these!

The key to really crisp potatoes it so slice them quite thin, and of course have the fat quite hot.   My mom never added any onions to hers . . .  just potatoes and butter.  I like the extra flavours of the fried onions, and of course the way these smell when they are cooking is just heavenly

Nothing could be any simpler really.  You just slice the potatoes and onions, and bang them into a hot pan of butter and oil . . . with some seasoning of course.  I add sweet paprika because it helps to give them colour.  You can leave it out if you don’t have any, no problem.

I leave the skins on, but you can peel them if you wish.  I happen to really love potato skins, and I like the extra crispy bits they create in the pan.

They key to success is to find a good balance between flipping and stirring and leaving them alone long enough without moving them so that you get some nice browning going on, without them burning.  Although speaking for myself, a few burnt bits are actually rather tasty.

In any case these are quite, quite enjoyable and go very well with most things.  I like mine with ketchup on the side.  Its the North American in me I guess. Todd, he prefers them all on their own with no embellishments at all. He’s so British.

Slice your potatoes about 1/3 inch thick.  You can leave the skins on or not as you wish. I don’t mind the skins because they make extra crispy bits.   Heat the oil and the butter in a large skillet until the butter begins to foam.  Add the onions and potatoes.  Season with salt, pepper and a good dusting of paprika.  Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, until the potatoes begin to crisp and brown and the onions are golden.  Try not to turn them too frequently as they will not have a chance to brown if you do.  Serve hot.

The knife I used for this is a Eddington’s Fruity Paring Knife.  They come in three varieties . . .  red tomato, green apple and yellow lemons.  Each has a very sharp stainless steel blade, which is printed in the applicable colour and comes with a stay sharp blade cover, which means they won’t get dull in your drawer, and you also don’t run the risk of cutting yourself when you reach in the drawer to get one out.

I really like them and they are actually very affordable.   They are quite lightweight and feel good in the hand.   You can purchase them here on Sophie’s Crafts for only £3.99 each.   I quite, quite love mine!  They are excellent little paring knives and do a great job!!

Bon Appetit!

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The English Kitchen
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