Recipes to Rival – Potatoes Rendang

Rayrena, of I Love Happy Cows, and Belita of Culinary Adventures chose this month’s Recipes to Rival (R2R) challenge:  you could make either Beef (Rendang Daging Sapi) or Potatoes Rendang (Rendang Kentang).  I chose potatoes, because I knew I wouldn’t eat the beef and I really, really wanted to try this!  In a nutshell, this dish was a big hit – my husband, the Honorable Master Chow, requested that I put it on the repeat list. For those of you who haven’t heard of this before, R2R celebrates the savory side of cooking, in contrast to The Daring Bakers and Tuesdays with Dorie.  I felt that I needed a balance in my cooking, so I joined last month.

The beef version comes from Cradle of Flavor: Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, by James Oseland.  Rayrena and Belita were able to get the potato version from the author, but he did not give his permission to post it publicly. (Rayrena tells me I can post the recipe, and you’ll find it after the jump).  You can find the beef recipe here.  If you read the beef recipe, the potato version is made in a similar manner, it just takes less time to cook.

I have Oseland’s book, and have drooled over it quite a bit, but never got my rear in gear to actually use it until now.  I have to tell you, the house smelled wonderful while this was cooking, and I’m lucky enough to live in an area where I could find the lemongrass, fresh turmeric, galangal, etc., that both the beef and potato recipes call for.

Top row, left to right:  lemongrass, ginger, garlic
Bottom row, left to right: shallots, turmeric, galangal

As for slight modifications, I used a combo of light and regular coconut milk, and I held off on the Thai chili peppers, substituting just a dash of red chili paste (I don’t like a lot of heat).  Everything took about  three hours to cook.  The potatoes ended up with a lovely crispy crust, and a complex flavor with a surprisingly sweet finish (not too sweet).  For those of you who hate coconut (like my husband), the good news is that I could not taste it in the final dish, but I suspect that is where the faint sweetness came from. He absolutely loved these potatoes, especially the crispy crust on the bottom.  I should also point out that he is not a big fan of potatoes, so his enthusiasm over this dish says something.

One word of warning:  turmeric stains everything, including your hands, so wear grubby clothing and wash your hands.  Turmeric should be peeled, but the peel is so thin that, like ginger, you can use a spoon to scrape it off.

From what I understand, this is what is known as a “dry” curry, something that I’d never made before, so I learned a fabulous new technique that I plan to apply to other vegetables. Thanks, Rayrena and Belita, for a great choice that forced me to push the envelope and use ingredients that I don’t use often enough.  I will be cooking from Cradle of Flavor a lot more in the future.  To see how what others did with the recipe, check out the R2R blogroll!

Potato Rendang (Rendang Kentang)

Makes 4-6 servings.

To begin the dish:
* 2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (light is fine)

For the Flavoring Paste:
* 1 thick stalk fresh lemongrass
* 4 shallots (about 3 ounces) coarsely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
* 5 – 10 fresh green Thai chiles stemmed and coarsely chopped (optional, depending on how piquant you want the dish to be)
* 1 piece fresh or thawed, frozen turmeric, 2 inches long, peeled and coarsely chopped ( or 2 teaspoons ground turmeric)
* 1 pieces fresh ginger, 2 inches long, peeled and thinly sliced against the grain
* 1 piece fresh or thawed, frozen galangal, 2 inches long, peeled and thinly sliced against the grain

For the remainder of the dish:
* 3 stems fresh lemon basil, Thai basil, or Italian basil
* 3 whole daun salam leaves (optional)
* 1 1/2 pounds very small potatoes such as baby Yukon Gold, fingerling, Peruvian blue, no more than 1″ in diameter
* 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* peanut oil, if needed

1.  First you’ll need to reduce the coconut milk slightly.  Pour it into a 12″ skillet (nonstick works best) and bring to a low boil over medium heat.  As soon as it begins to approach a boil, reduce heat to medium-low.  Continue to cook the coconut milk, uncovered, at a steady simmer until swirls of oil just begin to appear on the surface, about 15 minutes. (If that doesn’t happen, don’t fret.  The coconut milk you’re using probably has a low fat content.  Just proceed to the next step anyway after 15 minutes.)

2.  Meanwhile, make the flavoring paste.  Cut off the hard brown bottom ans the bristly greenish top of the lemongrass, which should leave you with a pale white-and-lilac piece about 5 inches long.  Discard the 2 or 3 tough outer layers, and then cut the lemongrass crosswise into slices about 1/4″ thick and set aside.

3.  Place the lemongrass, shallots, garlic, chiles, turmeric, ginger, and galangal in a small food processor.  Pulse until you have a smooth paste the consistency of creamy mashed potatoes.  If the paste won’t puree properly and repeatedly creeps up the side of the processor instead of grinding, add up to 2 tablespoons water, one tablespoon at a time, periodically turning the processor off and scraping the unground portion down towards the blade.

4.  Add the flavoring paste, basil and daun salam leaves (if using) to the simmering coconut milk and stir well to combine.  Allow the liquid to come to a steady gentle simmer and continue to cook uncovered, stirring occasionally with a spoon or spatula to prevent sticking, until the liquid has reduced by half, about 45 minutes.  Be sure to keep the coconut milk at a gentle simmer during this time (though a lively simmer is also acceptable).  If it boils, it may separate and curdle.

5.  While the coconut milk is simmering, scrub the unpeeled potatoes and slit them halfway with a sharp knife. (Be careful not to cut all the way through.)  This will allow the flavors to penetrate the flesh.  Set the aside.

6.  When the coconut milk has reduced by half, add the slit potatoes to the pan and then the salt, and stir well to combine.  Return the coconut milk to a steady gentle simmer.  With the pot uncovered, continue simmering, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the liquid has become thick and pastelike and the fats have separated from the remaining solids, 30-45 minutes longer.  If the coconut milk you’re using is low in fat, there may only be a small amount of oil -perhaps less than 1 tablespoon- in the pan at this point.  Add the peanut oil until there is roughly 2 tablespoons oil in the pan.

7.  Reduce the heat to low and gently saute the potatoes in the rendered oils and fats, stirring often and scraping up the flavoring paste with a spatula to prevent sticking and scorching but being careful not to break apart the potatoes.  Continue to cook until the potatoes and flavoring paste are medium dark brown (the color of a well-roasted chicken), 25-30 minutes longer.  The dish should be quite dry.

8.  Transfer the potatoes and all the sauteed flavoring paste to a serving dish.  Allow the dish to rest at least 30 minutes before serving, which will intensify its flavors.  If you eat it while it’s still hot, you won’t be able to appreciate its full complexity.  The dish should keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.