Yogurt Spice Crusted Roast Potatoes Recipes

SPICE-CRUSTED ROASTED POTATOES

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Use a mortar and pestle to pound peppercorns to a semi-coarse texture. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in garlic powder, sugar and salt. Set next to the stove.
• Lightly crush coriander and cumin seeds with the mortar and pestle. Transfer to a large skillet, add oil and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chile flakes and cook until the spices smell toasty, 5 to 10 seconds. Remove from heat and add potatoes. Gently stir to coat, then gradually stir in the pepper mixture. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spreading the potatoes in an even layer.
• Roast the potatoes, stirring halfway through, until golden brown and tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Gently stir in herbs. Serve immediately.

CHEESE-STUFFED POTATOES WITH YOGURT-SPICE PASTE AND SESAME SEED CRUST

Steps:

• For potatoes and stuffing:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Place potatoes directly on oven rack and bake until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer to platter and let stand until cool enough to handle. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• Cut potatoes horizontally in half. Using spoon, scoop out pulp, leaving 1/3-inch-thick shell. Transfer potato pulp to medium bowl and mash; mix in cheese, melted butter, cilantro, green onion, chile, and sesame seeds. Season potato mixture generously with salt and pepper; divide among potato shells.DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• For yogurt-spice paste:
• Combine first 6 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture is finely chopped. Add yogurt, oil, and lemon juice and process until smooth puree forms. Transfer to small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
• Remove top rack from grill. Place disposable aluminum baking pan in center of bottom rack (if using 2-burner gas grill, place pan on 1 side of burner). Add enough water to pan to reach depth of 1 inch.
• Prepare barbecue (medium heat). If using charcoal grill, light briquettes in chimney and pour half onto rack on each side of disposable pan. If using 3-burner gas grill, light burners on left and right, leaving center burner off. If using 2-burner gas grill, light burner on side opposite disposable pan. Return top rack to grill. Place sheet of foil on grill rack above unlit burner; brush with vegetable oil.
• Place sesame seeds on small plate. Place half of yogurt-spice paste in shallow bowl and reserve. Spread remaining yogurt-spice paste over top of potato filling in each potato half. Sprinkle with half of sesame seeds. Dip bottom of each potato half into reserved spice paste, then dip into remaining sesame seeds. Place potatoes atop foil on grill rack above disposable pan. Cover barbecue and grill until potatoes are heated through and bubbling in center, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer potatoes to platter and serve.
• A thick yogurt; sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores (such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods markets) and Greek markets. If unavailable, place regular yogurt in cheesecloth-lined strainer set over large bowl. Cover and chill overnight to drain.

SPICED YOGURT-MARINATED CORNISH HENS WITH SWEET ONION-ROASTED POTATOES

Steps:

• Combine the yogurt, coconut aminos, garlic, salt, peppercorns, turmeric, and ginger in a blender. Use a Microplane to grate in the zest of both lemons, then halve one and squeeze in the juice. Reserve the re-maining lemon for another purpose. Blend on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Rinse the hens under cool water, inside and out, and pat dry very well. Put them in a large bowl or pan and spoon about one third of the yogurt marinade into the cavities of the birds, spreading it around as best you can. Pour the rest of the marinade over the hens, using the spoon to make sure they're completely coated, tops and bottoms, including the wings and crevices between the legs and breasts.
• Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 16 hours or up to 2 days.
• About half an hour before you're ready to cook the hens, remove them from the fridge to take the chill off. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy skillet over medium heat until shimmery. Add the onions and 1½ teaspoons of the salt. Stir well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften and release liquid, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated and the onions have a creamy texture, turn a deep golden color, and taste very sweet, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spread the potatoes on a large sheet pan, sprinkle with the remaining 1½ teaspoons of salt, and toss well. Add the cooked onion mixture, stir well, and spread them to make a bed for the hens-a snug single layer in the center of the pan.
• Take the hens out of the marinade (don't scrape any off, but do leave behind anything left in the bowl) and put them on the potato-onion mixture, with a few inches of space between each one. Roast until the hens are golden brown with some dark patches and poking the thighs reveals juices with no trace of pink (a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast should register 150°F), 40 to 45 minutes.
• Let the hens rest in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a platter to serve.