#17. Spicy Potato Wedges with Chilli Dip

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT RECIPE! It comes from the otherwise hit-or-miss British cookbook Vegan Recipes (ed. Nicola Graimes). 

I made these last weekend. The potato wedges happened to come out of the oven just as my mother dropped by unexpectedly to see the puppies. She doesn't like cilantro or spicy things (as in "hot"--this book uses "spicy" to mean simply "with spices"), so I gave her some potato wedges without the dip, and she said they were "excellent." My dad dropped in unexpectedly a few minutes later and sat down with some wedges and the "chilli dip" (hot homemade salsa), and while he neither thanked me nor commented on the food, my sister said later that he had told her, "Diana made me a snack and tea and it was nice." (That's about as high as his praise gets.)

Don't be surprised if the kitchen smells quite garlicky-spicy while cooking this... in fact, it was enough to send my roommate out of the house (though not before she could beg some plain potato wedges off me). And the cooking is a somewhat long and involved process, but well worth the work and the wait. This would make a good dinner party appetizer, although you may want to double or triple it for more than three people. It's great hot from the oven and good reheated the next day (I ate the leftovers for breakfast!).

The ingredients:

2 baking potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed (I minced them--that was okay)
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dip:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed (again, I minced)
7 oz can chopped tomatoes (I used TWO LARGE FRESH TOMATOES! Use fresh if you can!)
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped (I used three strong shakes of red pepper flakes, and it came out mildly hot--4 or 5 shakes would give it a medium kick, and I imagine using the actual fresh pepper would make it quite hot)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, plus extra sprigs to garnish (I used at least twice as much coriander (cilantro) which was good in proportion to the two large tomatoes)

Here is my own version of the cooking instructions:

1. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into eight wedges each.
2. Find a pot or two big enough to accommodate the wedges so that they can be covered in water with an inch or so to spare at the top. Bring the water and potatoes to a boil, then simmer for ten minutes and drain. The drier the wedges are, the easier they will be to coat in the spice mixture.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the oil, garlic, allspice, coriander and paprika in a baking dish with sides (I used a glass loaf pan, which worked perfectly). Add salt and pepper to taste. Roll each potato wedge in the spice mixture and place it on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast the potato wedges for 20 minutes total, turning them with tongs or spatula a little more than halfway through (if you turn them too early or too often, they get mashed!) You may have to cook them a little longer--they should be slightly browned and crispy looking, but not burnt. (I turned the oven off after 20 minutes, but left the potatoes in to stay warm while I prepared the chilli dip.)

(They're almost done!)

4. To make the chilli dip: heat the oil in a saucepan (I used a small skillet). Cook the onion and garlic until soft. Add the tomatoes, with their juice. Stir in the chilli (or pepper flakes) and the vinegar. Cook about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the fresh cilantro and serve hot over or alongside the potato wedges, with a fresh cilantro garnish.

(Delicious! Smells so good!)

Et voila!:

(This is about 1/2 of the potatoes and 1/4 of the dip.)