Anna Jones, the best-selling London cookbook author behind “One: Pot, Pan, Planet, A Modern Way to Eat,” has a new cookbook coming out in mid-September — “Easy Wins” (Fourth Estate, $35).
Among the temptations in its pages are foccacia sandwiches filled with tomatoes, peaches and tahini and this simple recipe for roasted potatoes with brown butter, topped with a tangy, bright lime tartare sauce. It’s straightforward but elegant, especially when topped with fennel or dill fronds.
Serves 4 to 6
1 kg (2.2 pounds) small floury or new potatoes, scrubbed clean
100 g (1/2 cup) salted butter (or 100 ml olive oil)
6 tablespoons capers, plus 2 tablespoons caper brine
1 large free-range egg yolk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
150 ml (2/3 cup) olive oil
100 g (about 1/2 cup) sour cream
Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lime
1 small bunch dill or fennel fronds, to serve
Parboil the potatoes: Bring a large pan of salted water to boil, add the potatoes, then bring back to a boil and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes, until they are just cooked. Drain and leave the potatoes to steam dry in a colander.
Brown the butter: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the potato pan back on the stove and add the salted butter. Cook over medium heat until it turns nutty brown and smells toasty. If you are vegan, use a good olive oil in place of the butter and skip the browning stage. It will still be delicious, and you could add a toasty note with some smoked salt.
Roast the potatoes: Take the butter pan off the heat, put the potatoes in a roasting tray and pour over the brown butter. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss everything in the tray. Roast for 25 minutes.
Take the potatoes out of the oven and use a potato masher to crush the potatoes into the base of the pan, making a flat surface for crisping up. Scatter 4 tablespoons of the capers and bake for another 25 minutes until golden and crisp.
Make the lime tartare sauce: Meanwhile, make your tartare sauce. Put egg yolk and Dijon mustard in a bowl and mix well. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Loosen with caper brine and sour cream. Finely chop 2 tablespoons capers and add to the sauce along with the lime zest and juice. Serve the crispy brown butter potatoes with the tartare sauce and with dill or fennel fronds torn over.
— Anna Jones, “Easy Wins” (Fourth Estate, $35, out Sept. 17)
