Microwaving gives Skillet Potatoes a head start

Nuking potatoes instead of parboiling them makes skillet-sautéed potatoes even quicker to fix. Fresh herbs add a nice finish. Recipe below.

Quick Skillet Potatoes

A FRIEND OF OURS—AN AMBITIOUS, ADVENTUROUS HOME COOK—does not own a microwave oven. He announces as much with the smug tone usually reserved for saying you don’t own a television.

I don’t get it. I mean, I understand when some chefs ban them from restaurant kitchens, refusing to use them to rewarm plated orders that sit too long because of bad timing on another order. They rightly expect their line to get the timing. But home kitchens are another story, I think. Our microwave sees regular use, from reheating leftovers to warming carryouts that have traveled too far to—increasingly—actually cooking.

Mark Bittman first got me thinking about cooking fresh foods with a microwave several years ago, when he was still writing his regular cooking column, The Minimalist, for the New York Times. In “You Use It Every Day. But Can You Make It Cook?” he sings the praises of artichokes, asparagus, eggplant, cauliflower and other vegetables nuked briefly with a tiny bit of water. The colors are brighter, the flavors fresher and the vitamins more in tact.

Bittman also mentioned microwaving potatoes instead of parboiling them before frying them. This was brilliant. We occasionally like skillet potatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper, browned in a hot skillet and seasoned with fresh herbs. But parboiling them takes time, occupies a a burner and dirties another pot.

Microwaving the potatoes is much faster than parboiling. We’re talking maybe three minutes. And after a quick sauté, the finished potatoes are tender inside, crispy and brown outside.

The recipe below is as much a technique as it is an actual blueprint. Feel free to experiment with various fresh herbs (or some dried herbs, for that matter—see the Kitchen Notes). Swap fingerlings or even sweet potatoes for the Yukon Gold I used (with sweet potatoes, I would peel them).

Quick Skillet Potatoes with Herbs

Microwaving potatoes instead of parboiling them makes skillet-sautéed potatoes even quicker to fix.
Servings 2 can easily be scaled up

Ingredients

  • 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, about 12 ounces
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (I used chervil)

Instructions

  • Scrub potatoes, but don’t peel them (or do peel them, if you wish). Cut into chunky, bite-sized pieces. Place in a microwave-safe dish, add 1 tablespoon of water, partially cover with a lid or waxed paper and microwave for 3 minutes.
  • Drain and let cool slightly—a few minutes will do. Place in a large bowl and blot dry with a paper towel. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the potatoes, season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat potatoes. (The oil will help the seasonings stick to the potatoes and help the potatoes brown more evenly.)
  • Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet large enough to hold potatoes in a single layer, over a medium flame. Give the pan plenty of time to get hot, then add the potatoes.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are nicely browned and crisp on the outside, 7 to 9 minutes. Be careful to make sure all surfaces of the potatoes get a chance to brown. I used a pair of wooden spatulas to turn them individually, as needed.
  • Transfer cooked potatoes to a bowl with a slotted spoon and gently toss with fresh herbs. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, as needed, and serve.

Kitchen Notes

Some thoughts on herbs. We just happened on the chervil and thought it sounded good. A member of the parsley family, this mild herb with undertones of anise is often used in French cuisine. Italian parsley is another good choice, as are fresh thyme, tarragon, oregano, dill or rosemary (add this to the pan halfway through cooking the potatoes). Each will of course add its own distinctive flavor.
For dried herbs, try tarragon, thyme or oregano. Use 1/3 to 1/2 as much as you would with fresh and add it when you put the potatoes in the pan. This will allow the dried herbs time to share their flavors and soften a little. I would not use dried rosemary—the needles will remain stubbornly stiff and crunchy.

14 thoughts on “Microwaving gives Skillet Potatoes a head start

  1. Bittman turned me on to microwaving, too. It does a great job with many veggies — it’s fast, and usually the vegetables retain good color. And flavor! Anyway, although I nuke potatoes all the time to partially cook them before adding to stews and chili and the like, haven’t done so for skillet potatoes for some reason. Great idea! And you can bet I’ll be doing it. Oh, and thyme for me, and dried when it comes to a dish like this. One of my favorite herbs.

  2. It never occurred to me either to nuke them before going into the skillet. I’ve always parboiled. And you are right, then I whine to myself about the extra dirty pot and one less burner and extra time! Veggies never go in the microwave either. I need to rethink that. Thanks!

  3. John, we go for dry herbs in cycles. Had been doing a lot of tarragon for a while, but now my new favorite (for the moment, at least) is oregano. A nice big flavor that seems to dial up the savory in dishes. Next week’s post will probably highlight it.

    Randi, click through to the Mark Bittman article linked above. You’ll find timing guides for numerous vegetables, plus some more involved recipes. I think it will really open your eyes (and speed up some of your cooking!).

  4. I find that I better results with a damp paper towel then with waxed paper .It seems to hold the steam in .
    Instead of a nonstick pan I like to use my 90yr old cast iron skillet

  5. Bernie, the paper towel is a great tip. We often just use microwave-safe plastic containers and leave the lid slightly open. And your cast iron skillet sounds perfect for the job. All the more reason to toss the potatoes with a little oil (in addition to the oil in the pan) to keep their naturally starchy surfaces from sticking.

  6. So true. Last night, I zapped yukon golds, then after heating up a cast iron skillet with a bit of olive oil on the gas grill, placed cut up spuds in the pan (while the flat-iron steak grilled) along with peppers, shallots. It’s my easy way of making crispy potatoes. Easy and so good!

  7. My mom always boiled (not parboiled, boiled) a few extra potatoes when making either boiled or mashed potatoes for the family so that she could pan-fry them for me within the next day or three. Potatoes prepared this way are probably the most comfortable of all comfort foods for me – and now they are a step closer. Emotional sniffle!

  8. Never thought to nuke skillet potatoes…great idea. Will do this week. I do, however, often nuke beautiful large russets after poking them with a fork. Nuke them until about halfway done, then put in release aluminum foil with olive oil and kosher salt. Wrap well, then grill until outside is crunchy and inside is tender. This way they come out so nutty and delicious, and I don’t use up all my propane on a couple of potatoes. Very yummy!

  9. Anita, my mom used to mix extra mashed potatoes with beaten eggs and fry them for breakfast. Also a nice memory.

    Barbara, your potatoes sound fantastic!

  10. I just tried this technique with breakfast potatoes and they came out great–crunchier and less dry on the inside than when I make them only in the skillet. I seasoned them with smoked paprika and cooked them in bacon grease 🙂 Thanks for the tip!

  11. Pingback: Breakfast Potatoes

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