Who doesn’t need another recipe for salty, starchy, creamy potatoes?
These boiled-then-baked potato wedges from longtime Observer columnist and BBC host Nigel Slater's newest book, "Eat: The Little Book of Fast Food" (Ten Speed Press, $27.99), fit the bill with a smoky crisp bacon crumble and pungent Gorgonzola cream sauce.
Slater’s definition of “fast food” might not exactly jibe with Americans’ (this recipe will take at an hour and a half and your least favorite kitchen appliance to clean), but that doesn’t mean we won’t make time to prepare this kind of comfort food, especially for a tailgate party or other excuse to eat more calories than we should.
Potato Wedges with Gorgonzola Sauce
2 lbs. medium-size starchy potatoes, such as Russet
8 slices bacon
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
4 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 cup heavy cream
5 oz. cubed or crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Scrub medium-size starchy potatoes but don’t peel them. Cut each in half lengthwise, then into thick wedges, 3 or 4 to each half. Cook in boiling salted water for 15 minutes, until they are approaching tenderness. Drain and transfer to a roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cook 8 slices bacon in a shallow pan with a little oil till very crisp. Transfer to a food processor, add red pepper flakes, peanut oil and smoked paprika and process till the mixture resembles very fine crumbs.
Sprinkle the crumbs over the potato wedges and toss gently to coat. Bake for an hour or so, till the wedges are crisp and sizzling. To make the sauce, warm 1 cup heavy cream in a small nonstick saucepan, add cubed or crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, and stir gently till the cheese has melted. Drizzle the warm sauce over the wedges or serve as a dip. Serves 4.
— From "Eat: The Little Book of Fast Food" (Ten Speed Press, $27.99) by Nigel Slater
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