Taste is always the first consideration when it comes to my favorite recipes, but I also enjoy it when those dishes are presented in a different and attractive way. One of my favorite foods is simple fried potatoes. My mother and grandmother served them often as a side dish, and I loved the crispy outside sprinkled with just a hint of salt and pepper. What could be more simple and delicious?
Recently, I found a new way to cook potatoes that provides a similar taste to frying them, but they are actually baked. The presentation of this dish, with its accordion-looking design, makes it a fun focal point on the plate.
BELLE'S BAKED FRIED POTATOES
4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Cut thin slices the entire length of the potatoes, but not the entire way through: leave about ½ inch uncut at the bottom.
Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, making sure it covers the potato and gets into the cut ridges. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake potatoes in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender with a crisp outside.
Brenda Stanley is the mother of five children, including two sets of twins, and a grandmother of three. She is a cookbook author and novelist. Her website is talesofthedinnerbelle.com.