Pan-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fried-Sage Butter

I love potatoes—especially fingerling potatoes. Their small size, thin skin, and creamy texture make them perfect for pan roasting. Start cooking them on the stovetop, then pop them in the oven to finish roasting until the flesh is wonderfully tender and the skins are golden brown.

These little spuds are great with just salt and pepper, but for a little extra flavor and mmmm-factor, I tossed them with a bit of butter spiked with savory fried sage. Frying fresh sage leaves takes all of 5 seconds, and they crisp up while cooling. Crumble them and mash them with softened butter, and your potatoes (and guests) will be extra happy.

Also check out Roasted Smashed Potatoes with Mustard Vinaigrette or Roasted Petite Potatoes with Rosemary-Garlic Butter.

Serves 4 (easily doubled)

Ingredients

• 10 oz small fingerling potatoes (about 2 inches long) halved lengthwise
• olive oil for drizzling and brushing, plus 2 tbsp
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 5 medium-small sage leaves
• 1-1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

Fingerling Potatoes

Sage Leaves

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Place the potatoes in a bowl and drizzle generously with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with olive oil and pour the potatoes into the skillet. Sear, stirring frequently, 8 minutes.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the potatoes are tender and golden brown, 14-15 minutes, stirring 2-3 times. 

Ready to Cook

Beginning to Cook

Ready to Roast

Roasted Potatoes

1. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet or saucepan until very hot but not smoking. Fry the sage leaves, stirring, 5 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a layer of paper towels (leaves will crisp as they cool). Season with salt and let cool completely.
2. Place the softened butter in a bowl and cut into small chunks. Finely crumble the sage leaves and sprinkle over the butter. Use a fork to mash the butter and sage together, combining well.
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and dollop with teaspoons of sage butter. 

Beginning to Fry

Fried Sage

Crumble Sage over Butter

Fried-Sage Butter

Dollop with Butter

Stir gently and serve hot.

Pan-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fried-Sage Butter

Grilled Opah (Moonfish) with Apricot-Lemon Glaze

Opah—also called moonfish because of its disc-like shape—is a large, colorful, deep-water fish common in the waters surrounding Hawaii and other tropical regions. Its colorful skin features hues of bluish silver, orange, and red, while the flesh ranges from areas of light pink to reddish-orange—but it all tends to turn white when cooked. Like tuna or swordfish, opah is typically cut into thick, steak-like filets, and its firmness makes it a great fish for grilling.

From National Geographic.com. Photo by Ralph Pace

The opah’s mild, sweet flavor goes well with a complementary sweet glaze or sauce. Here, I made a simple glaze with apricot preserves and a splash of fresh lemon juice for a tangy contrast. If you can’t find opah in your local fish market, the glaze will work well with tuna, swordfish, or even thick-cut salmon steaks.

Note: I made a hot lump-charcoal fire and let the coals cool to medium to medium-low so I could grill the fish directly over them. If you don’t have time to wait for the coals to cool a bit, simply grill the fish close to the fire but not directly above the flames. This prevents the tender flesh from burning quickly, while still resulting in a nice char and light, smoky flavor.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 tsp unsalted butter
• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 12-oz piece of opah, about 1-1/2 inches thick, halved
• olive oil, for rubbing

Opah Steak

Preparation

1. Light a grill for medium heat with space for off-heat grilling, if needed.
2. Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes.
3. Add the apricot preserves and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the glaze thickens, 4 minutes. 
4. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand while the fish grills.

Garlic in Butter

Glaze Beginning to Cook

Apricot-Lemon Glaze

1. Rub the opah pieces with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Rub the grill grate with oil. 
2. Grill the fish off heat until lightly charred on the outside and but still opaque in the middle, 3-4 minutes per side, depending on thickness. (Tip: If your fish pieces are very thick, you can turn them to grill on all 4 sides for about 2 minutes each, instead of just grilling on the top and bottom sides.)

Fish Beginning to Cook

Grilled Opah

Transfer to plates, brush with glaze, and serve right away.

Grilled Opah (Moonfish) with Apricot-Lemon Glaze

Slow-Roasted Baby-Back Ribs with Spicy Honey-Barbecue Sauce

Nothing beats the great outdoors when it comes to slow-cooked baby-backs, but your oven can turn out some deliciously tender, juicy pork ribs too. And the same rule applies: low and slow.

Treat the ribs right after they’re cooked too. That means a bold, flavor-loaded homemade barbecue sauce made with simple ingredients that cooks in about 15 minutes. Here, the sauce is sweet, spicy, and very rich. And very easy.

Now about those ribs: If you’re new to preparing baby-back ribs, be aware that there’s a thin white membrane on the underside that needs to be removed before the ribs are cooked, whether you’re grilling, smoking, or roasting them. Left on, the membrane can turn tough and make the ribs chewy instead of tender.

Sometimes the butcher at your local meat shop will score the membrane by making slashes in it through the length of the rack. This can help get you started, but it isn’t always necessary (or easier) to start with the score line in the middle of the ribs. Instead, use a sharp paring knife to gently scrape the top corner of the underside and pull the membrane away as you scrape. Note: It may not tear off in one nice, easy piece (think wallpaper).

Rib rack 

Pull off membrane 

Ready for spice rub

One more thing: Spice rubs matter, so don’t skip this stage when preparing the ribs. The aromatic spiciness cooks into the meat and adds unbeatable flavor. Remember that the rub needs time to work into the ribs before the cooking begins, so build in time to let them sit in the fridge for at least three hours. Overnight, even better.

Also check out Grilled Baby-Back Ribs with Fresh-Cherry Barbecue Sauce and Smoked Ribs with Spiced Maple Barbecue Sauce.

Serves 2-3

For the Ribs

• 1 tsp dried red chile flakes
• 1 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2-1/2-lb-rack baby-back ribs, halved in the middle, membrane removed

Spice Rub Mixture

For the Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 1 red Thai chile, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped red or white onion
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• sea salt

Spice Rub Mixture

For the Ribs

1. Combine the chile flakes and cayenne, chile, and garlic powders in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Rub the spice mixture all over the ribs, covering both top and underside. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours (or overnight).
3. Preheat the oven to 225° F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
4. Place the ribs meat side-up on the baking sheet and cover with foil. Roast 2 hours. Turn the ribs meat side-down and re-cover the pan. Continue roasting 1 hour. Remove the cover and turn the ribs meat side-up again.
5. Baste generously with barbecue sauce (recipe follows) and continue roasting, uncovered, until the ribs are very tender 20-30 minutes longer, adding more sauce as desired while the ribs finish.
6. Transfer the rib racks to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before cutting into individual ribs.

Spice-Rubbed Ribs 

After 2 Hours 

Turn Meat-Side Down 

After 3 Hours 

Slow-Roasted Ribs

Serve any leftover sauce alongside, if desired.

Slow-Roasted Baby-Back Ribs with Spicy Honey-Barbecue Sauce

For the Sauce

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic, chipotle and Thai chiles, and onion and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes.
2. Increase the heat to medium and add the ketchup and next 5 ingredients (through mustard) and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until slightly thickened, 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and let stand while the ribs finish. (Or, make the sauce a day ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight, and bring to room temperature before using.)

Garlic Mixture Beginning to Cook

Sauce Beginning to Cook

Cooked Sauce 

Spicy Honey-Barbecue Sauce