Papas con Chorizo (Roasted Potatoes with Chorizo)

From Side Dish to Main Attraction

Papas con Chorizo | Dara O’Brien

By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press

I may have been in the first grade when I stopped eating breakfast. I was the youngest of five, and my brother was fourteen years older than me, so by the time I came along my parents were used to their kids getting ready by themselves. My memory is that my mom would sleep in and my dad, who had his own business and didn't punch a clock, would drive us to school in his pajamas.  

But we took our lunches to school, and I know my mom prepared them. I don't think she did it the night before, so I'm probably wrong about getting up and out on my own at age six. I do know for sure that by the time I was in seventh or eighth grade, I no longer ate breakfast.  

I continued to ignore the morning meal throughout my middle grades, high school, and college. When I was out of school and working nights waiting tables and tending bar, the closest I got to breakfast was 3am eggs at the local diner after an especially grueling late shift. Breakfast continued to elude me — or I continued to elude breakfast — once I left restaurant work and began an office job.

Things change. Perhaps this is a pandemic holdover, but these days I don't just eat breakfast; I make it a meal. Zucchini and onion omelets. Black bean tacos. Cauliflower sformattos. Potato frittatas. I add extra time to my morning so I can prepare breakfast and clean up without rushing before I have to get going.

Given my recent break(fast)through, it's no surprise that when I came upon this recipe for Papas con Chorizo, I immediately thought it would be great in the morning with a fried egg on top. But this classic Mexican staple is more than a breakfast dish. The creator of this version, Chef Jose Garces, pairs it with a Cactus Paddle Salad and Pan-Roasted Shrimp with Tequila in his book "The Latin Road Home," published by Lake Isle Press. (Drop me a line if you want the recipes.)

I grew up in an Irish American household, so this recipe had me at potato. It's not a significant departure from home fries, but adding chorizo and jalapeño to the potato and onion turns these spuds from a side dish to a smokey, spicy, pillowy, crispy main attraction.  

I couldn't find any loose chorizo when I shopped for the ingredients, so I bought chorizo sausage, opened the case, and chopped the meat before cooking. The rest of the recipe was easy to follow, and the proportions were balanced. The result was delicious. And I did indeed put an egg on it.

Papas con Chorizo Recipe
(Roasted Potatoes with Chorizo)

Click here for printable recipe.

Mexican chorizo, unlike Spanish chorizo, is ground pork that’s highly seasoned but not cooked or fully cured. It is also typically sold loose rather than packed in casing. Here, the fat and the flavor from the chorizo coat the potatoes, which in turn balances out the saltiness of the sausage with its mellow starchiness and soft texture. One bite is all it takes to understand why this traditional dish has been passed down for generations.

Papas con Chorizo with Egg | Dara O’Brien

INGREDIENTS

4 large Yukon gold potatoes (about 1½ lb), peeled and diced
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup crumbled Mexican chorizo (about ¼ lb)
½ Spanish onion, diced (½ cup)
2 Tbsp minced garlic (4 to 6 cloves)
1 large jalapeño chile, finely diced
1 to 2 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 oz queso fresco, grated (¼ cup)

Serves 4

PREPARATION

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Boil the potatoes until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Lift the potatoes out of the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the baking sheet to cool.

Heat the butter and oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly rendered and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño and cook until lightly caramelized, stirring frequently, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown and crispy, about 6 minutes. Add the scallions and cilantro and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with cheese.

Recipe from “The Latin Road Home” by Jose Garces, Lake Isle Press, 2012

 
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