Super Crispy Jiaoyan Roasted Potatoes
A love child of Chinese salt & pepper dishes + British roasties
When I was a kid, I loved going to the Sam Woo in San Gabriel Square with my family. Some of my favorite Chinese dishes we ordered were salt & pepper shrimp 椒盐虾, salt & pepper squid 椒盐鱿鱼, or, when in a more plant-forward mood, salt & pepper tofu 椒盐豆腐. In all of these dishes, the protein bases are coated in starch and then flash fried in oil, giving them a golden, crispy exterior. Once removed from the oil, they were topped with minced shallots (or onion), garlic, and chili peppers, and powdered with the savory blend of salt & pepper they’re named for.
Not salt and black pepper, which would be very punchy, if still tasty in its own right. Rather, this salt and pepper was a different aromatic blend: salt and white pepper specifically. (Judy of Woks of Life has noted that salt and Sichuan pepper is the prevailing combination she has found on recipe websites, although salt and white pepper would be the Cantonese style.)
Given the flexibility of the dish—there are shrimp, squid, tofu, fried fish, and also pork chop variations—why not branch out and experiment with other kinds of food?
Enter the potato.
Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew!
Or, jiaoyan 椒盐 them, Chinese-style with salt & (white or Sichuan-mix) pepper!
Since most of the aromatic flavor comes from the seasoning, potato preparation can be very versatile. You can try the smashed potatoes method (small steamed potatoes that once soft are either “smashed” onto an oiled baking sheet and baked or smashed and panfried in a skillet till crispy). Or do British roast potatoes, a.k.a., roasties, method (chopped parboiled potatoes that are baked and rotated until each side gets a golden brown crust). You can even just sprinkle this on some prepared french fries from a freezer bag.
The version I developed below is an adaptation of the recipes for salt & pepper tofu by Wei at Red House Spice and for roast potatoes by J. Kenji López-Alt at Serious Eats. Hope you like it!
Super Crispy Chinese-Style Salt & Pepper Roasted Potatoes
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Potatoes
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters, sixths, or eighths, depending on size (for me this looked like 4 small Yukon Golds)
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1-1.5 tablespoons grapeseed oil
Topping
3 tablespoon minced shallot, or onion
3 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper (wear gloves to chop!)
3 tablespoon minced garlic
2 stalks of scallion, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper Seasoning (select blend A or B)
¾ teaspoon salt and pepper seasoning
A. Sichuan pepper blend (use ¾ teaspoon and save the rest)
1 teaspoon whole Sichuan pepper
½ star anise, separate the pods and remove the brown seeds
½ teaspoon sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
4 teaspoon salt
OR
B. White pepper blend
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
PREPARATION
1) Boil two cups of water. Add 1.5 teaspoons of salt, baking soda, to the boiling water. Add potatoes carefully to the pot, and boil for approximately 10 minutes, or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork or knife, but are not falling apart.
2) Drain potatoes. Put them in a bowl, and rest for 30 seconds while the steam releases. Add oil and salt, and toss until the potatoes look a little craggy on the surface but remain generally in tact.
3) Spread the potato pieces across a baking pan, and roast them in the oven at 450°F. Turn every 20 minutes or so, for a total of ~50 min, or until you reach desired crispiness.
4) While the potatoes are in the oven, sauté the topping until the onions are soft or translucent.
5) When the potatoes are done, take them out of the oven and place them in a large bowl to toss with the sautéed topping and salt & pepper blend. (Careful, this step will be hot!)
6) Plate and serve.
Cooking safety note: Make sure to be careful when handling the chili pepper. Wear gloves as a precautionary measure, and wash your hands with soap and water after handling. Pepper burn is a thing. Avoid your eyes. (Read more about chili burn.)