Perfect Crispy Potatoes Recipe Courtesy Melissa Darabian Food

CRISPY POTATO CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oil and butter over medium heat in a nonstick 10-inch skillet. Once the butter is melted, sprinkle the grated potatoes into the pan in an even layer and, using a spatula, gently press them into the pan. Season with about half of the salt and pepper and let the potatoes cook without shaking or stirring the pan, until they're crisp and browned on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Slide the potato cake onto a large plate and invert it onto another plate. Slide the potato cake back into the pan, browned side up, and season the top with the remaining salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the underside is nicely browned and the potato cake is cooked through, 7 to 9 minutes longer.
• Slide the potato cake onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

PERFECT CRISPY POTATOES (RECIPE COURTESY MELISSA D'ARABIAN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the potato cubes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, add the water, stir, and cover the pan with a lid. Steam the potatoes until the water evaporates, about 3 or 4 more minutes. (Every 1 to 2 minutes, open the lid long enough to stir the potatoes so they don't stick.) Lower the heat to medium, and saute another 1 to 2 minutes until all traces of water are gone. Toss in the butter and stir to coat the potatoes. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until the potatoes are crisp and browned to your liking, about 15 to 25 minutes depending on how dark you want them. Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and serve.

POTATO-BACON TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until just crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate and set aside. Crumble the bacon when cool to the touch.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the thyme and cream over low heat to a bare simmer. Turn off the heat and let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.
• Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and then finely slice the potatoes. Working in circles, arrange the potato slices in the pie crust, stopping to season each layer with salt, pepper, and about 1/4 of the crumbled bacon. Continue layering until the pie pan is nearly full. Top with an even layer of the cheese and gently pour cream around and over the entire pie, allowing it to seep down between the potato slices. (You may not use all the cream.)
• Roll out the remaining disk of refrigerated dough. Cover the pie with the dough and crimp the edges closed. Brush the top and edges of the crust with egg wash. Make a few slits in the center of the top crust, for the steam to escape, and put the pie pan on a baking sheet. Bake the torte until the crust is browned and crispy and the potatoes are cooked through, about 50 to 60 minutes. If the crust edges get too brown, cover them with some strips of aluminum foil. Remove the pie from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.
• Put the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each spoonful of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps. Transfer equal amounts of the dough into 2 resealable plastic bags and pat each into a disk. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove 1 of the disks from the bag to a flour coated surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch round. Gently fit the rolled dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate while you prepare the torte ingredients.

ROASTED CHICKEN AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Allow the chicken to rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a small bowl or mini prep, mix together the butter with the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then rub the chicken all over with 3 tablespoons of the herbed butter. Cook's Note: Make sure chicken is dry. Slide some of the butter underneath the breast skin. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string.
• In a small roasting pan, pour in the white wine and place the chicken breast side down. Roast for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, season the potatoes with salt, and pepper and drizzle with oil to coat. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Remove the chicken to a plate turning it breast-side up. Brush the rest of the herbed butter on top of the chicken. Add the potatoes to the bottom of the pan and place the chicken on top.
• Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F, and return the chicken to the oven to finish roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the inner thigh, not touching the bone, reaches 160 degrees F, about 1 hour more. Once done, remove the chicken to a carving board and let rest 10 minutes before carving. Remove the potatoes to a serving bowl.
• Return the roasting pan to the stovetop over high heat. Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice, scraping up the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
• To serve: Place slices of chicken on plate with potatoes and drizzle the pan sauce over both.

I WANT TO MARRY YOU COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until melted. Remove from the heat.
• Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir until sugars are incorporated and smooth. Chill the mixture for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the refrigerator and stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
• Add the flour, oats, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cinnamon and mix together.
• Stir in the white chocolate chips and chocolate chips.
• Roll by hand into 24 medium-size balls or use a scoop, and place on a light-colored cookie sheet.
• Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
• Melissa's Note: About the name. These cookies are the surefire way to get someone to fall in love with you -- or at the very least gain a serious addiction to cookies. By giving these cookies away, you may need to be prepared for a marriage proposal on the spot. I have been baking since I was a little one. I was the only girl in a house full of brothers (5 to be exact), so I quickly found my spot in the kitchen. My love affair with baking started with cookies and it is how I won dates in high school by delivering them every Sunday night to my "friends." Love would usually ensue. Now I find joy in baking them for my own 4 little ones and they are my ultimate taste testers in the quest for the perfect cookie. They say we got it years ago so it is about time to share it.

CAFE GREEN SALAD BY MELISSA D'ARABIAN

Steps:

• Rub the inside of a large wooden bowl with the garlic clove and then either discard it or save it for another use.
• Put the mustard in the bowl and whisk in the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce (a French secret!) vigorously for about 10 seconds to get a creamy consistency.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Drizzle in the olive oil as slowly as possible with 1 hand while whisking as quickly as possible with the other hand to emulsify.
• Lay the salad greens on top of the dressing and toss just before serving.

POTATO-BACON TORTE BY MELISSA D'ARABIAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until just crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate and set aside. Crumble the bacon when cool to the touch.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the thyme and cream over low heat to a bare simmer. Turn off the heat and let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.
• Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and then finely slice the potatoes. Working in circles, arrange the potato slices in the pie crust, stopping to season each layer with salt, pepper, and about 1/4 of the crumbled bacon. Continue layering until the pie pan is nearly full. Top with an even layer of the cheese and gently pour cream around and over the entire pie, allowing it to seep down between the potato slices. (You may not use all the cream.)
• Roll out the remaining disk of refrigerated dough. Cover the pie with the dough and crimp the edges closed. Brush the top and edges of the crust with egg wash. Make a few slits in the center of the top crust, for the steam to escape, and put the pie pan on a baking sheet. Bake the torte until the crust is browned and crispy and the potatoes are cooked through, about 50 to 60 minutes. If the crust edges get too brown, cover them with some strips of aluminum foil. Remove the pie from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.
• For the Pie Crusts:.
• Put the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each spoonful of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps. Transfer equal amounts of the dough into 2 resealable plastic bags and pat each into a disk. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove 1 of the disks from the bag to a flour coated surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch round. Gently fit the rolled dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate while you prepare the torte ingredients.
• Yield: 2 (9-inch) pie crusts.

5-MINUTE INDIVIDUAL POTATO GRATINS BY MELISSA D'ARABIAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spray 8 muffin tins with vegetable spray.
• Layer potato slices, cheese, and onions into each muffin cup.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
• Cover with foil.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time. Invert gratins onto plate and serve.