Mustard roasted baby potatoes
Aren't side dishes sometimes such an after thought? Even when Jon and I make dinner for ourselves at home during the week, we'll have the main part underway, but sides sometimes feel effortful and daunting. I realized that even here on The Pastiche, the category that is probably most lacking is sides. It just tends to be that some sides aren't very unique or glamorous so I don't think to focus on them. But they are still every bit as necessary! So I'm going to try to feature a few simple, reliable, and versatile options in the coming weeks.
These quick and easy roasted potatoes are great alongside most proteins (and are delicate enough for fish), and would also make good breakfast potatoes topped with a fried or poached egg or tossed together with sausage and an herby dressing to make a hash of sorts. I love baby potatoes for their ratio of outer skin to flesh because it allows them to crisp up and have good texture. And if the mustard part scares you away, I'd urge you to give them a chance because the mustard is really more for depth of flavor than anything else. Because the potatoes are being roasted, they don't turn out overwhelmingly mustardy. The Dijon seems to simply offer a bit of richness and the little seeds from the whole grain mustard get crispy and slightly caramelized in the oven. I'm into it!
Mustard roasted baby potatoes
Yields about 4 servings
1½ lbs baby medley potatoes, or just baby red potatoes, cut in half (or quarters if particularly large)
3 T olive oil
2 T Dijon mustard
1 T whole grain mustard
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp sea salt, or more to taste
Pepper
Fresh chives, finely chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and mustards. Pour ¾ of the mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat. Set remaining mustard mixture aside for now. Sprinkle potatoes with garlic powder, salt and pepper, and toss again. Spread potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet (do not discard mixing bowl; you will use it again later to toss the potatoes). Place in oven and cook for 35-40 minutes, using a spatula to move/flip the potatoes around every 10 minutes or so for even browning. Potatoes are done when they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Remove potatoes from the oven and use a spatula to scrape potatoes into the mixing bowl. Toss with remaining mustard mixture, and serve right away with a sprinkling of fresh chives