Hot and Numbing Stir-Fried New Potatoes
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 2pounds small yellow new potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed
- Kosher salt
- 2teaspoons red Sichuan peppercorns
- 1star anise pod
- 1teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1teaspoon white peppercorns or ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2whole dried hot chiles (such as chile de arból or Japonais) or 1 tablespoon red-pepper flakes
- 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon (or replace with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon MSG to make the dish vegan)
- 2tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- ¼cup peanut, rice bran or soybean oil
- 4medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2scallions, chopped into ½-inch pieces
For the Potatoes
For the Spice Blend
For Stir-frying
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
185 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 397 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cool water by 2 inches. Season heavily with salt. (The water should taste like very salty seawater once the salt has dissolved.) Place over high heat, bring to a boil and cook until there’s no resistance when a knife or cake tester is poked through the largest potato, about 10 minutes after they come to a boil. Drain potatoes and spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet to air-dry.
- Step 2
While the potatoes cook, make the spice blend: In a small bowl, shake the Sichuan peppercorns and discard any shiny black seeds, twigs or leaf fragments. Add the husks to a dry wok, along with the star anise, fennel seeds, white peppercorns and half the cumin seeds. Toast over medium heat, tossing frequently, until very aromatic, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a small bowl to cool slightly. Return wok to heat and add remaining cumin seeds and the chiles. Toss and stir until very aromatic, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a second small bowl.
- Step 3
When cool, transfer the spice mixture in the first bowl, along with the 2 chiles from the second bowl to an electric spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Add salt, sugar and chicken bouillon. Grind to a fine powder and return to the empty bowl.
- Step 4
Add the cumin seeds that toasted with the chiles to the spice grinder or the mortar (no need to clean it out) and pound or pulse until very coarsely ground. (There should be large, distinct pieces of cumin seeds.) Add half-ground cumin and the sesame seeds to the rest of the spice mixture and stir to incorporate.
- Step 5
Stir-fry the potatoes: When potatoes are dry, heat 3 tablespoons oil in the wok over high heat until shimmering. Add potatoes and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until browned in spots, about 4 minutes.
- Step 6
Clear a small space in the center of the wok and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to it. Immediately add the garlic, scallions and spice mixture to the oil and stir until aromatic, about 15 seconds. Toss everything until the potatoes are thoroughly coated in spices, about 15 seconds. Season to taste with more salt as desired. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
Tips
- To stick with more traditional Thanksgiving flavors, flavor the potatoes with garlic and rosemary: Follow recipe steps above, omitting the spice blend and skipping Steps 2 through 4. As the potatoes boil, finely mince ¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves. Add the minced rosemary leaves to the wok in Step 6, along with the garlic and scallions, plus 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- For another flavor profile, try the potatoes with blistered cumin and mustard seeds: Follow recipe steps above, omitting the spice blend and skipping Steps 2 through 4. As the potatoes boil, heat ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil in a wok over high heat until shimmering. Add 2 teaspoons each cumin seeds and black (or brown) mustard seeds and stir-fry until they sizzle and pop then popping starts to subside. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set over a small heatproof bowl. Transfer the blistered mustard and cumin seeds to a separate bowl and add 2 teaspoons curry powder and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. This is your spice mixture to be added to the potatoes as directed in Step 6. Use the strained oil to stir-fry in Steps 5 and 6. This version is especially good with a handful of chopped fresh cilantro leaves tossed with the potatoes just before serving.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Rohit
As someone living in HK, this is delightful! Just improvised a smashed potato version. First boil new potatoes in salted water with baking soda. Post smashing and letting them dry out, coat them in hot oil flavored w/ minced garlic, star anise, green & red sichuan peppercorn, dried chillies, saving the fried aromatics for later. Post crisping the smashed potatoes in hot oven, combine with fried aromatics, cumin powder, more salt and fresh spring onion. Use some of Kenji's roast potato hacks!
Sasha
The spice mixture is addictive. It reminded us of chili crisp. The instructions to separate the spices into two bowls seem overly complicated. After reading them more than once and trying to follow what to mix with what, we decided to just throw everything on the potatoes. They came out excellent!
Anywayyou Sliceit
Hate for the first comment to be so deviant but i made it for lunch without the potatoes (sorry), and can confirm the spice mix goes well on a stir-fry of leftover veg + lamb.
Richard
Jeff, I am pretty sure HK refers to Hong Kong, not Hell's Kitchen
David Barnes
OK, for everyone who's confused by "water as salty as seawater": it means very salty, saltier than you think it should be. It's not a literal measurement, but more of an encouragement: go ahead and make the water even saltier. This is a useful shorthand, because people will use very different amounts of water (though I understand why some cooks would prefer exact amounts). Salty water enhances flavor, and doesn't make the final product too salty!
Philip
If you need a few laughs, goggle "salted water for boiling" and click on the Epicurious link.
Dave A.
For people complaining that they don't know how the salty the sea is: I think you're taking it too literally. Just salt the water fairly strong, so it tastes more or less like what you imagine salty seawater would/could taste like. A few palmfuls of salt, give or take, would be fine. It's hard to mess this one up unless you drastically over- or undersalt the water.
Dena
I make a version that is flavorful but not hot. Salt, pepper, and then a very generous shower of seeds: caraway and fennel are my favorites.
Todd
The potatoes are good with just salt and pepper, but some minced fresh rosemary and chopped garlic puts them at home on a traditional Thanksgiving table. It was in the article...
SJW
As an oceanographer, I don't regularly taste seawater, but I do measure its salinity. A very salty ocean, such as the Red Sea, contains about 40 grams of salt per kilogram of seawater. If you weigh the salt it doesn't matter whether you use kosher salt or table salt (or any other flake size). One possible conversion to volume: use 3 Tbsp. of Morton kosher salt per 1 liter of water.
Jen in Astoria
Sounds great, but it seems a bit precious to grind the spices in two batches...
teukros
Two pounds of potatoes would have been too much for the poor wok, my wife and I used half that much. I followed the directions for the spice blend, and I ended up with a small bowl full of craziness. I used just a three finger pinch for the potatoes and that was enough for me, and I love ma la food. It was too much for my wife, and she spent the night coughing and sneezing. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. It is a good recipe. But my goodness, I've never made a spice blend like that...
Mikko
It's the whole star.
Jeff
Curious what living in Hell's Kitchen has to do with the recipe being delightful -- I suspect it's equally delightful on upper East side, or even Cucamonga for that matter...
Dave A.
It varies a lot based on what type of salt you use and the exact quantity of water. Also, the point is that it doesn't actually matter that much. Pour however much water is needed to cover the potatoes, dump a few palmfuls of salt into the water, taste it, and adjust as needed (which will be probably be unnecessary after you've done this once or twice). Quick and effective, and no need to measure everything.
Cathy
Sea water is about 35 parts per thousand - 35 grams per kilogram. A kilogram of water is a liter. Its salty! While you wouldn't measure your water and salt every time, it would be worth doing it once to get an idea of what you are aiming for.
Shari Mauthner
Amazingly, the Epicurious link is still active in Sept 2023. Seriously, for not just a few but many, and clever, laughs, goggle “salted water for boiling" and click on the Epicurious link. A few of the bestest ones: Use tears to enhance the flavor Is there a vegan version? Do I add the salt to the water, or vice versa? Make a double batch and freeze any leftovers
David
Hasn't any reader or writer or the NYT ever heard of something called a microwave? Possibly could be used effectively rather than boiling water.
Kris
Wouldn't change a thing. So good I eat it cold straight out of the fridge. Had spice mix leftover (just added to the potatoes to taste). Made with cut pieces of regular potatoes (to maybe ping-pong sized wedges) and worked just fine. Just be careful to watch the potatoes or you'll have Sichuan mashed potatoes!
John
Wonderful flavor. Use the freshest Sz. Pepper you can find, or the numbing effect will be minimal. Chop scallions finer or they'll fall off. Use less oil to cook the potatoes, and probably less to dampen the spice mix, or they'll be so oily that the spice mix slides off. I'd say "mix all spices but 1t cumin and grind to consistency of sugar; then add last 1t cumin and grind a tiny bit more until the cumin is broken up." The powder-fine stuff seemed hard to get onto the potatoes.
Michael
40 minutes and 15 ingredients doesn’t exactly qualify as a simplified method for potatoes, as written in the Times article. Sounds more like a promotion for the wok book. Think I’ll stick with mashed.
Prakash Nadkarni
RE: the question of salting water - Seawater is 3.5% sodium chloride by weight, or 3.5 gm/100 ml water. I tsp of table salt is 5.7 gm; 1 tsp Diamond Kosher salt is about 3 gm (because it's flaky, it takes up more space).
SJW
As an oceanographer, I don't regularly taste seawater, but I do measure its salinity. A very salty ocean, such as the Red Sea, contains about 40 grams of salt per kilogram of seawater. If you weigh the salt it doesn't matter whether you use kosher salt or table salt (or any other flake size). One possible conversion to volume: use 3 Tbsp. of Morton kosher salt per 1 liter of water.
Andrew
These are amazing ! Had the incredible experience enjoying them in the Muslim Market street in Xían China . If you make it to Xían the food stall lined streets are a must experience!
Darlingkit
Crazy me, I saw the recipe and looked over it briefly. I didn't look closely at the "form" of the spices such as the star anise. So, I adapted the recipe to use what I did have on hand. I used anise seed, out of cumin seeds, fennel, 6 small Thai peppers (I like it hot), and black peppercorns. I thought it needed just a bit more flavor, so I added about a rounded 1/2 tsp. of turmeric to my mortar. Like I said, had to use what was on hand. It was excellent.
Nancy from Cali
YUM! We aren't really into frying things and I don't own a wok or anything similar to a wok; so I changed up the recipe. I diced up the potatoes; tossed them in olive oil; then sprinkled "quite a lot" of the spice mixture #1 on them; and then roasted the dish at 425 for 45 minutes. & finally cranked it up to 450 to crisp them for 10 minutes. Then I sprinkled the spice #2 on everything. It tasted great & I'll definitely make it again. Also want to try the spice mix on steak!
victoria
These were a huge hit at Thanksgiving, the spice profile was a perfect contrast to the heavier dishes.
Maureen
While these were really good, this falls into the category of stif-fries that I will NEVER make again indoors. We used half of the cooking oil, but the house still reeks of peanut oil, after running a full-size fan exhausting out the kitchen door and opening the front door to draw the air through for an hour. It's not worth it! Is it just because we have one of those microwave fans over the stovetop? I don't know, but no more oily stir fries for me :-(
Jeremy
> Is it just because we have one of those microwave fans over the stovetop? Probably. Microwave fans start at about 150CFM. A real "approved for Asian households" hood vent goes from 500 CFM straight to heaven.
Casper Pike
When making the Chinese version be sure to have your extractor fan on high prior to adding the spice mix to the cooked garlic. I did not and was hit by a wall of spice vapors. Some of the ground spice must vaporize..
Maxine Godfrey
From all that I've read and tasted, the red Sichuan peppercorns are more floral in taste profile. It's the green Sichuan peppercorns that provide that numbing effect most satisfactorily. Go with green.
Rohit
They are both quite numbing. However the red does have a floral fragrance and the green's aroma is reminiscent of citrus peel.
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