Crispy Weekend Breakfast Potatoes

After a long work week of whipping up quick eggs, gulping down oatmeal, and grabbing a banana to go, I just want to take my time to make breakfast on the weekend. I love waking up late, going to the farmer’s market, laying out all of my fresh ingredients (and taking pictures for Instagram with no shame), and creating a delectable breakfast for myself. I deserve to feel luxurious on the weekends—and so do you!

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Along with feeling luxurious on the weekends, I also enjoy doing my experimenting with recipes and cooking techniques that I’ve been learning. Since I can take my time, I can do things the right way. If something goes wrong, I have the time (and patience) to either try to fix it, or I can just make something else.

Lately I’ve been reading the cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat. She is one of my latest cooking inspirations because she normalizes failing in the kitchen (as I have done many times) and makes good cooking accessible for regular folks. And, you know, the techniques she suggests actually work for me … one of those regular folks!

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In this potato recipe, we simply salt the water for the potatoes and add a bit more oil than I’m used to using, but these small changes make a world of difference. From my own experience, boiling the potatoes ahead of time makes for that soft inside that I crave from country potatoes or french fries. Salting the water for boiling will allow the salt to saturate the potatoes before we begin frying, making for a more flavorful potato through and through. As for the frying, using more oil gives the potatoes a richer flavor and gives us that crisp crunchiness on the outside. Plus, though my brain likes to think otherwise, adding one more tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil is not going to make me gain a pound.

I can’t promise that this will be the last time I mention techniques from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. But I can promise that this crispy potato recipe is perfect alongside a fresh veggie omelet, some bright, plump fruit, and maybe even a side of peppery bacon. So go throw on those slippers, brew up that strong cup of coffee, and get cooking!

Crispy Weekend Breakfast Potatoes

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Servings: 2
Time: 20 minutes

3 Yukon Gold Potatoes (you can also use 3 Red Potatoes or 1 Russet Potato)
2 and 1/4 teaspoons Kosher Sea Salt (divided)
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or Butter, if you dare)
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/4 teaspoon Dried Rosemary
1/4 teaspoon Dried Parsley (or 1 tablespoon of Fresh Parsley if you’re feeling fancy)

*I do not peel my potatoes in this recipe because I love how crispy the skin gets in the frying pan, but this is your weekend—you do what you want!

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1. Chop the potatoes roughly into 1 inch cubes before sliding them into a medium-size pot along with 2 teaspoons of Kosher sea salt. Fill the pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes, then place on the stove on high heat.
2. Once the water is at a rolling boil (lots of bubbles!), it’s time to turn off the stove and drain those potatoes.
3. Place a large frying pan on the stove at medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, coat the pan with the extra virgin olive oil and then carefully drop in the potatoes. Spread the potatoes out over the entire pan, listen to that delightful sizzle, and feel your stomach start to grumble.
4. Leave the potatoes where they are for about 2 minutes. This will allow them to get that initial browning on one side. After the time is up, give them a stir with a spatula or do that fancy one-handed frying pan flip, and let that hot pan do the work.
5. After about 2 more minutes, give them another stir.
6. At this point, you’ll repeat this brown and stir process with about 1 minute in between each stir until the potatoes are browned and crispy (to your liking) on all sides.
7. Last, sprinkle in the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried parsley, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Flip and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the potatoes are coated and the aroma of the spices has filled your entire house.
8. Let those potatoes tumble onto a plate, take a few pictures for Instagram, and taste the glorious potatoes you’ve just made—just don’t burn your mouth!

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