Luger German Fried Potatoes
Bratkartoffeln·(braht-kahr-tawf-eln)
Chapter 3: Steakhouse Sides
Drop a mound of parboiled russets into a smoking cast-iron skillet, leaving the pan untouched until the bottoms crust and the edges shatter. Built on the traditional German technique of boiling potatoes a day ahead and the American bravado of searing them in a terrifying amount of clarified butter, these are exactly what you want sitting next to a medium-rare porterhouse. Do not flinch at the fat.
Before you start
Boil the potatoes a day ahead.
Place the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and salt it until it tastes like the sea. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until a paring knife meets some resistance in the center. Drain, cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, and refrigerate uncovered overnight to retrograde the starches and dry the exterior.
Peel and dice the cold potatoes.
The next day, slip the skins off the cold potatoes with a paring knife. Cut them into 1/2-inch thick slices, then into 1/2-inch cubes. Pat them completely dry with paper towels.
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold potatoes3 lb
- clarified butter1/2 cup
- neutral oil3 tbsp
- yellow onion1 large
- sweet paprika1 1/2 tsp
- kosher saltto taste
- black pepperto taste
- fresh parsley1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- 02
Sauté the onions in clarified butter.
Place a 12-inch heavy cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the clarified butter. When shimmering, add the diced onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until translucent and just browning at the edges. Stir in the paprika and a pinch of salt for 30 seconds to toast, then remove the onions to a bowl and wipe the skillet clean.
- 03
Fry the potatoes hard and undisturbed.
Return the cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat with the neutral oil and 4 tablespoons of clarified butter. When smoking hot, carefully add the diced potatoes in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan. Leave them alone for 5 to 7 minutes to develop a deep, golden-brown crust, then flip with a metal spatula and fry for another 5 to 6 minutes.
- 04
Combine and roast in the oven.
Pull the skillet off the heat. Fold the reserved paprika onions back into the potatoes along with the final 2 tablespoons of clarified butter, tossing gently to coat every edge. Season aggressively with kosher salt and pepper, then transfer the entire skillet into the hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes. This sets a blistering, dry crunch that can stand up to the juices of a sliced porterhouse. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
The clarified butter rule.
Do not substitute standard butter. It contains milk solids that will burn and turn bitter at these high temperatures. If you do not want to clarify your own butter, buy a jar of high-quality ghee at the supermarket—it performs identically.
The bacon upgrade.
Luger serves its legendary extra-thick bacon as a separate course. To bridge the gap at home, render 1/2-inch lardons of thick-cut slab bacon in the skillet before cooking the onions, and use that rendered pork fat in place of the neutral oil.
The same-day emergency.
If you forgot to boil the potatoes yesterday, peel and cube them today, boil for exactly 5 to 7 minutes, and let them steam dry on a wire rack. Pat them aggressively dry with paper towels before they hit the cast iron. The crust won't be quite as impenetrable, but the hot fat will save you.