Evening Edge

(Editor's note: John posted this reply in the comments area, because several of you requested his recipe for potato wedges. It is copied here to make for an easy link)

As far as the potatoes, here goes:

Anne-Caroline: you're right! I did indeed start with the recipe from "Roasting" by Barbara Kafka. As I recall, she roasts potato wedges at high heat and then braises them in chicken stock. I found the recipe a little labor intensive and dependent on the (non) stickiness of pans, so I've adapted it to my own lazy style. Here is the letter I sent out to folks who wrote me today. Thanks for reading.

Clearly I need to turn this into a recipe, as I've gotten a few requests. For now, it's a haphazard business more than a tested dish. So, if you're game...

Scrub and cut any unpeeled potatoes into big chunks. I like waxy ones (like Yellow Finn) or halved fingerlings, but russets will do. Put them into a seriously overgreased gratin dish (you should see butter smears) until they are touching but not packed tight. Cover half to three-quarters of the way with real chicken stock. Dot with more butter for good measure. (maybe not quite half a stick total for a 9x13 pan?) You should add salt, pepper and a little garlic if you want to the stock. Tent with foil and bake at, oh, 350 until the potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until there is no liquid left in the pan and the residue is brown and nice smelling. Burnt follows quickly, so pay attention...it takes maybe 20 minutes. Switch to broil to brown the top. You might want to scatter some parmesan or gruyere over the top before browning, or something green like parsley or chives after browning.

Barbara Kafka has a similar recipe for browned potato wedges cooked in chicken stock that takes more work but is really good...if you have her "Roasting" book, it's there.

Editor's postscript: Several readers have asked for John's potato wedge recipe. Here's a second, which we are calling John Kessler's Gratin Dish Potato Wedges, originally published in the AJC a few years back.

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