Rosemary Potatoes

I love potatoes.  I love them even more for breakfast.   There is a local diner in Eastown, Wolfgangs, that serves the best rosemary potatoes anywhere.  We set out to replicate their success. 

As many potatoes as you wish, diced.
[I use a very sharp knife and dice the potatoes into small pieces.  I find they cook better and more evenly this way.  I expect that you could make them larger and bake them, but I haven't tried that].
Seasoning.  I use Mickey and T's All American. 
Fresh rosemary.  Rinsed, dried, and smashed into teeny, tiny pieces.  

I cook them in olive oil with a medium to low heat.  I like mine a little crispy, so I crank up the heat the last few minutes.  

Two hints that we use that make these potatoes the very best.

First, dry the potatoes after dicing.  This absorbs the water and helps in the cooking.  If you forget, it won't ruin it but it does help.

Second, whip this up the day before you want to cook them.  Let the potatoes, the seasoning, and the rosemary sit overnight and get, as Emeril says, all happy. 

Hmmm, delicious.  I always make enough for two batches.  Cheers to good eats!

Christmas Eve Dinner

I am happy to report that our dinner on Christmas Eve was an unqualified success.  Rosemary Garlic Chicken was a also perfectly complimented by a bottle of 2009 Gregory Graham Chardonnay.  You can read more about the wine here.  Of course, Deirdre had to snap a few images, because that is what she does...

I was even able to use my kitchen hammer to flatten out the chicken breasts:

Cheers!

The almost finished product:

Tonight we will make Pan Seared Filet Mignon.  Bon appetit!

Christmas Eve Dinner

This is what we will be serving at the Cafe tonight for dinner:

Rosemary-Garlic Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried fresh thyme
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Using a rolling pin, pound the chicken between 2 sheets of wax paper until they are of uniform thickness. Heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and the garlic browns. (Don't burn the garlic.) Add the chicken breasts and cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Add the salt, pepper, vinegar, chicken broth, rosemary and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 3 minutes longer or until the chicken is fork-tender. Remove the chicken to a platter and keep warm. Increase heat to high and boil the sauce until thickened or syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter and pour the sauce over the chicken.

Yield: 4 servings

Cook’s Notes:

    Slice the garlic, do not crush it. I do not know why but the sliced garlic makes this dish taste a lot better.
    Serve with plain cous cous or rice.
    Use fresh rosemary, if possible. It really makes a difference in this recipe.