So there are plenty of nights when I want to sit at the dining table for dinner. I’ll clear the surface of notebooks, receipts and whatever else from my workday because for me the dining table is also my desk. I’ll attempt to fold our stubbornly wrinkly linen napkins and bring out the sharpest “steak” knives. An appropriate wine will be chilling and maybe, just maybe, I’ll light the candles.
Then there are times when I just want to unravel the idea that dinner needs to be so formal. That means making something casual, easily shareable. Something graspable. Something that requires light planning, like a pizza night or a big cheese plate for lunch, or elaborate toast. I can pick it up, bite into it while standing in the kitchen, and perhaps there’s a dippable sauce or pickles to top it off. Regardless, the goal is the same: I’m not setting the table tonight.
One such meal is this week’s recipe for crispy pan-fried tacos filled with potatoes, garlic and cheese.
In my youth, we’d eat them standing around the kitchen island because my siblings and I had this shared sense of urgency to devour them while still hot. I don’t technically have a kitchen island, but I’ve found the prep table, my stove, my building’s stoop and, yes, even a regular old dining table works. I just find these tacos more enjoyable upright.
Besides being a hand food, so much of these tacos’ identity is in the dual textures. The filling is made from creamy Yukon Gold potatoes that I cook until super soft before smashing into a garlicky mixture dotted with sweet English peas and pockets of gooey cheese. The effect is a filling that’s hearty yet still feels seasonal.
English peas, which are nearing the end of their season, are an easy, sweet addition, but the possibilities are open here. You can swap out the peas for sauteed spring onions or halved cherry tomatoes, or even a peppery green like arugula.
That inner suave texture stands out compared to the crunchy outer shell. Griddled in olive oil, the corn tortilla gets crispy, crunchy. Each bite is similar to the sensory satisfaction I get from tapping through a caramelized creme brulee into a silky custard, but here it’s a crispy tortilla shell that gives way to the smooth potato filling.
What I also love about these tacos is the extremely short list of ingredients. Nine to be exact. But even that includes staples like salt and olive oil. There’s really no need to go to a specialty store, just your local market. You’re welcome.
The potatoes can be regular potatoes or diva potatoes. You really can use almost any potato here. Small to medium is better because they will cook faster. A large potato should be cut into smaller chunks. I like Yukon Gold because they have a potato-y flavor, are creamy and have thin skins that mash up well. Other potatoes to try are German Butterball and fingerlings.
On a saucy note, my last column was all about green goddess dressing, and so the recipe focused on creating that sauce. However, this week, it’s all about the tacos. I unapologetically recommend buying an already-made salsa verde. Look for those refrigerated pints of tomatillo-based salsas. I’ll let you in on my secret, though: I’ll doctor up a store-bought salsa. Sometimes that means adding more chopped cilantro, mint, sliced scallions, more salt, small chunks of avocado or even a little olive oil.
I don’t know about you, but I am still pleased as punch when a veggie meal makes me not miss meat. I’m an omnivore, but there’s just something cool when a vegetable like a potato that’s so utilitarian is filling, satisfying and makes me not miss a thing whether that be meat or even a perfectly set dining table. Here, all you need are your hands, a spoonful of salsa and an appetite.
Christian Reynoso is a chef, recipe developer and writer who lives in San Francisco. Email: food@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @christianreynoso Twitter: @xtianreynoso
Cheesy Potato and Spring Pea Tacos
Makes 15 tacos
This potato-based taco is filling, satisfying and won’t make you miss meat. It’s crunchy on the outside and soft, garlicky and cheesy on the inside.
1¾ pounds small to medium Yukon Gold or German Butterball potatoes
1 pound fresh English peas (or about 1 cup shelled peas)
6 ounces queso Oaxaca or mozzarella
1 small yellow onion (about 8-10 ounces)
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5-6 tablespoons olive oil
15 corn tortillas
Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
Salsa verde
Instructions: Cook the unpeeled potatoes by placing them in a large pot, filling the pot with enough water to cover them with about 2 inches of water and salting the water heavily. Cover with a lid, turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to a rapid simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft, giving way to a fork but not falling apart, about 25-30 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, shell the English peas if you’re working with fresh peas. Cut the cheese into ½-inch pieces. Roughly chop the onion. Line a sheet pan or large platter with paper towels.
When the potatoes are done cooking, drain them of the cooking water, set them aside and heat the same large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil; once the oil is warm, add the onion, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often until the onion has softened, about 3 minutes. Stir the peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Add the potatoes to the pot and mash them using a potato masher or a blunt-edge wooden spoon until you’ve mashed all the potato into nickel-size pieces. Add the cheese and stir it well so it becomes melty and both the potatoes and cheese are combined with the peas and onion mixture. Season well with salt.
Heat the tortillas to make them pliable and soft over a medium open flame in batches or microwave on a plate, covered, very briefly.
So the tortillas don’t dry out, quickly spread ¼ cup of the potato cheese filling on half of each tortilla and fold in half.
Heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot and shimmery add 3-4 tacos to the pan at a time and pan-fry on both sides until golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add about 1 more tablespoon of olive in between batches.
Transfer the tacos to the paper lined sheet pan and serve with the salsa verde in a bowl with a spoon.
May 28, 2021 at 11:03PM
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A potato filling tucked into crispy tortillas is the ultimate hands-on dinner - San Francisco Chronicle
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