Sesame Glazed New Potatoes

Potatoes are often an afterthought, served as a side for some carbohydrates, or tossed into a stew to bulk it up. However, this simple preparation elevates them to entree status.

Pan-frying them in sesame oil creates a crust that helps prevent the potatoes from crumbling while also creating a porous surface that more easily takes up the flavors of the sauce. Then the potatoes are steamed together with the savory-sweet sauce ingredients until they are tender. Finally, the sauce is thickened to a glaze, and the spuds are finished off with a dusting of nutty ground sesame seeds.

The key for this recipe is to use small waxy potatoes (i.e., "New Potatoes," Red Bliss, Fingerling, etc. ). These potatoes have a high moisture content and relatively low starch content compared to more floury varieties like Russets. This keeps them from falling apart and turning into mashed potatoes when cooked (BTW, this is why waxy potatoes are not suitable for making mashed potatoes).

This is easily in the top 10 most delicious things I made this year, so I hope you get a chance to try it out.