Oh Baby, Yukon Golds… Best Stovetop Recipe

I don’t cook many carbs – as I’m constantly watching my weight. “Watching” is the key word. I am not on any diet to lose weight but I certainly don’t want to gain any more. So, I don’t cook many carbs. Particularly because we eat dinner so late – usually around 9 – I hate to admit – and my husband and I are just fine without. At first my husband would complain. Now he knows better. (training!)

But on this past Monday evening, we had our next-door neighbor, Marilyn, over for dinner. Marilyn is a pistol. She’s a retired bankruptcy attorney and she has a gorgeous terrace, belongs to several wine clubs, and doesn’t cook. We start these get-togethers at her apartment with some delicious wine on her terrace. She ordered up a spectacular day as well! Gorgeous blue sky with puffy clouds slowly moving, bees that didn’t sting and birds that came to visit. Perfect!

During the cocktail hour, I peeled and sliced garlic for the escarole while my onions were happily caramelizing on my stove next door. Marilyn loves rare calves liver and you can’t have liver without having onions, right? I had a strip steak for my husband and me.

You see Marilyn did a HUGE favor for us some months ago. Our refrigerator broke (again!! Don’t ever buy Jenn-Air appliances) and we were planning to spend a week in the country and I mentioned to her that now we were staying home to wait for the repair guy and it ruined our week. Marilyn offered to oversee the repair and stay with the guy in our apartment until it was finished, so we could still go on our little holiday. How awesome is that!??? And, the repair guy didn’t show up until 7 pm in the evening and didn’t finish until 10:30 at night!!! And she couldn’t figure out how to turn on our TV. So she just sat there. (I couldn’t figure out how to turn on the TV last night either. Aughhhh!!)

So I said, “Marilyn, let me make you your favorite dinner. What is it?”

And she said, “Liver and onions.”

I hate liver and onions.

My mother used to make us eat it at least once a month – for the iron – and she loved it. But my mother always cooked it way too much, I now know.

Marilyn likes hers rare and she requested it broiled. Well, I blew it the first time. It was too done.

So on Monday, I recreated her thank-you dinner and this time, I did it right. I sautéed it in butter, served it rare and never heard so many mmmm’s. She’s a sweetheart.

So being that we had company, I made the complete meal with a carb – these baby Yukon golds – and they were creamy, dreamy and totally delicious.

Here’s what I did. It’s a remake of a Jacques Pepin recipe.

BABY YUKON GOLDS – BEST STOVETOP RECIPE – serves 5 – 6

2 lbs. baby Yukon gold potatoes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1.5 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. freshly chopped parsley leaves

Place the potatoes in a deep skillet and add salt and pepper to taste. Cover potatoes halfway with chicken stock, about 2 cups, add the butter and cover skillet with a lid. Cook the potatoes in the stock until almost tender, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending upon the size of the potatoes.

Remove the lid and allow the stock to evaporate, about another 5 minutes. Once the stock has evaporated pop each potato using a ladle or large spoon, creating a small crack in each, but do not smash. Allow the potatoes to brown on each side, about another 5 minutes. Remove the browned potatoes from the skillet and place onto a serving platter, garnish with the parsley.

Serve with LOVE.