Potatoes with Tahini, Yogurt & Green Tomato Jam

This recipe from Chef Ana Sortun is a departure from the typical roasted and mashed potato side dish. She takes the tuber to the Mediterranean by layering flavors of tahini with the freshness of green tomatoes that have been cooked with wine and honey. An excellent addition to a dinner party menu as a standout side dish or appetizer, these parcels can be prepared ahead of time and finished on the grill or in the oven. Add the green tomato jam to add to your repertoire; it can be used as a topping for grilled chicken, scallops or as an accompaniment on a cheese plate.

Details

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the potato
  • 16 Yukon gold or red Norland potatoes, about 2 pounds
  • 1 cup Greek style yogurt
  • 1 cup tahini
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • juice of half a lemon
  • salt to taste
  • 4 scallions, washed and chopped fine
  • 1 cup of green tomato jam (recipe follows)
For the green tomato jam (Makes 2 cups)
  • 4 green tomatoes, peeled using a vegetable peeler and then diced into ½ inch cubes
  • 1 cup light colored honey
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 8 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 clove of garlic, smashed
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
For the coriander, sesame and oregano topping
  • 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons of coarsely ground coriander seed
  • 1 tablespoon of Greek oregano
  • 2 teaspoons of Aleppo chilies (available at specialty spice stores), if you can’t find Aleppo you can substitute a teaspoon of paprika

Directions

For the potatoes
  1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepot and cover with water.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
  3. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. The cooking time may vary according to the size of the potatoes.
  4. Drain water from pan and add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and let stand for 5 minutes to let the potatoes absorb some salt.
  5. Meanwhile, mix the yogurt, tahini and lemon juice in a mixing bowl with a whisk until well combined. Season with salt to taste and set aside.
  6. Place the saucepan in the sink and run cold water over the potatoes until they chilled through, about 5 minutes.
  7. Drain the water when cool and cut the potatoes in half on a cutting board.
  8. Place them in a bowl and season them with salt to taste. Stir in the olive oil and set aside.
For the green tomato jam
  1. In a small sauté pan, bring the honey, water & wine to a simmer on medium-low heat. Add bay leaf, garlic and thyme and simmer for 3 minutes.
  2. Stir in tomatoes and season with salt.
  3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly for about 20-25 minutes (add more wine or water if the pan dries up too quickly) or until the tomatoes are soft and jam like.
  4. Stir in olive oil and lemon juice and season again with salt to taste.
  5. Cool and remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
For the coriander, sesame and oregano topping
  1. Mix all ingredients. Set aside.
To assemble
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 or prepare a charcoal grill.
  2. Tear off several pieces of parchment paper measuring approximately 14 inches long. These are going to hold the potato bundles so make sure that they’re big enough.
  3. Place 6-8 halves of potatoes in the center of the parchment and wrap the potatoes up into a tight little package. Twist the top so that the bag is airtight and it looks like a little balloon. Wrap the packages with a layer of tin foil if you are using a charcoal grill. Repeat until all the potatoes are wrapped in paper parcels.
  4. Place them on a baking sheet and then into the oven to steam for about 15 minutes or until hot. If using a charcoal grill you can place them right onto the grill and they will take 6-8 minutes to get steamy and they might brown nicely on the bottom.
  5. When the potatoes are hot, remove the foil (if using) and cut the tops of the bags open using kitchen shears.
  6. Top each bag of potatoes with 2 tablespoons of tahini-yogurt and 2 tablespoons of green tomato jam.
  7. Sprinkle generously with scallion and the coriander, sesame and oregano topping. Serve immediately.
 

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