Potato Tacos

A Filling Veggie Entree

Total Time: 40 Min Servings: 4

Posted by Patrick

DISCLAIMER: These tacos are not California Cuisine’d. I learned this recipe at a cooking class in Mexico. We used basic ingredients; we mashed the potatoes, and cooked with a lot of oil, and I loved them. And I still love them, and this recipe doesn’t stray far from the source (sans the Happy Boy ingredients).  If mashing isn't not your thing, make the salsa and garnishes listed below, and instead roast your potatoes with oil, ancho chilies, corn and onions. Below is what I learned to be be the tradiitonal method,  and while I’m sure my teacher would like your healthy roasted potato tacos, she’d still top them with crema and queso.  And there’d be nothing you could do about it.

INGREDIENTS
Taco Filling:
2 lbs potatoes (German butterballs are best, Yukon gold or yellow finn could work too)
1 medium yellow onion
4 large garlic cloves
1 – 1½ cups broth (chicken or veggie.  If you use low sodium broth you’re going to have to add salt anyways, so might as well use regular broth)
6 tbsp Mexican crema (or sour cream or yogurt)

Toppings:
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 medium white onion
1 pint canned early girl tomatoes (I’m writing this in February) / 2 pounds early girl tomatoes (in summer)*
2 medium jalapenos*
2 limes*
1 avocado
Cotija (salty, crumbly and dry Mexican cheese)
12 corn tortillas (at least)
canola oil
salt

*ingredients for salsa

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to broil.
Boil pot of water for the potatoes.

1. Salsa
cut 2 jalapenos in half the long way and place face up on oven-safe pan and roast in oven until black (more jalapenos = more spicy)
dice roasted jalapenos
finely chop 1/2 cup cilantro
finely dice 1/2 medium white onion
squeeze juice from 2 limes
mix with chopped tomatoes in a bowl and add 1 tbsp salt and let marinate in it’s juices

2. Taters
We’ll be mashing these suckers so the primary things are:
    DO NOT PEEL the potatoes and
    cut them to a consistent size so they cook at an even rate.

Slide potatoes into the pot of boiling water.  They’ll be ready when they fall apart easily when poked with a fork, roughly 30 minutes.
 
While the potatoes boil, chop a medium yellow onion into slivers and dice 4 cloves garlic.  
Pre-heat canola oil in a pan.  There should be enough oil to cover the pan and pool a bit so the onions crisp, but are not fully submerged.  Place the onions and garlic in the hot pan—they should sizzle—add salt (to taste) and cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes until crispy and transparent, stirring often.
 
Strain potatoes and return them to pot for mashing.  Mash with 6 tbsp crema, 1 cup of chicken broth.  Once smooth, stir the crispy onions and garlic into the mash.  For a smokier flavor open a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and cut and stir into potatoes.
 
3. Taco construction
Heat tortillas in a thin pan on stovetop.  Fill with potatoes and top with salsa, chopped cilantro, diced onions, sliced avocado and cotija cheese.

If you’re feeling it, take filled, but un-topped, tacos and seal edges using the potato mash as a sort of adhesive and place whole taco in a pan of hot oil until crispy and then top with said toppings.
 

Grilled Heads of Little Gem

Early Season Salsa