My kids love these parmesan potato wedges. They’d eat them every night if they could. It’s a great dish to serve a crowd, and you can prepare the potatoes ahead of time if you wish, ready to pop in the oven when everyone arrives. We served these alongside a butterflied leg of lamb and salad on New Year’s Eve, and there were none left over! I prefer to use a dark-skinned potato, such as Royal Blue, which I buy at my local market. https://farmerandson.com.au Desiree and kipfler potatoes work well, too.
The potato (Solanum tuberosum) belongs to the solanaceae family of flowering plants. It contains a bitter alkaloid, solanin. Left to go green in the light, its tubers become more toxic, which is why potatoes should be stored in the dark, and their colour checked before cooking. Did you know that, globally, the potato is the third most important food crop for human consumption, after rice and wheat? There are more than 4,000 varieties of native potatoes, mostly in the Andes, from where they originate. However, today, there are fewer than 100 varieties cultivated commercially, and most of us have access to only a few of these.
Potatoes can be cultivated from sea level up to 4,700 m. In Australia, thanks to our wide range of climactic conditions, potatoes can be harvested all year round. They produce more food per unit of water than any other major crop, and they are up to seven times more efficient in using water than cereals. Potatoes are produced in over 100 countries across South America, Africa, and Central Asia. https://cipotato.org/potato/potato-facts-and-figures/ What a versatile crop!
Serve these parmesan potato wedges as a side dish for a family barbecue or as a snack. In winter, I like to shave a little black truffle on top. The wedges also go really well with romesco sauce. https://atamandastable.com.au/romesco-sauce-with-smoked-paprika/
Best wishes,
Amanda
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Parmesan Potato Wedges
Ingredients
- 8 potatoes, washed, skin on I like Royal Blue or Desiree
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup rosemary leaves substitute with thyme or oregano leaves
- flaked sea salt and freshly cracked blakc pepper
- shaved black truffle (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced) and line 2 oven trays with baking paper.
- Place the whole potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for ten minutes until they're just soft. This gives the potato wedges a crust on the outside while being soft on the inside. You can skip this step but you may need to cook the potatoes a little longer.
- Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, and then into thirds or quarters, depending on how big the potatoes are.
- Toss the potatoes in olive oil.
- Add the parmesan cheese, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Spread out the potatoes evenly on the two trays, then cook for about 40 minutes until brown on the edges and cripsy. If they're ready before your main dish is done, turn off the oven, and let them rest.
- If you like, shave a little black truffle on top.
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