Korean Sweet & Salty Potatoes

I always enjoy this one when I get it at a restaurant, and it comes quite often! Not surprising; it's a very inexpensive and easy dish to prepare. Qualities I like at home too! I used my Pink Fir Apple potatoes for this and they worked well.

Sometimes green onion is added to this, and I've seen some recipes that call for a small onion peeled, chopped, and cooked with the potatoes, but one of the problems with my selection of Korean dishes was that I was finding many of them called for very similar ingredients and I wanted to vary them as much as I could. Therefore I omitted them. You can add them if you want, of course.

Most of the recipes I saw called for much less water to cook the potatoes, but in a large, shallow skillet and perhaps with the type of potato, I definitely needed more. You will need to use your judgement.

4 servings
30 minutes prep time
at least 30 minutes cooling time

250 grams (1/2 pound) waxy potatoes
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
about 2 cups water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Wash and trim the potatoes, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Peel and mince the garlic finely.

Heat the oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook, turning regularly, for about 5 minutes, until they get a little colour. Add about half of the water; enough to just cover them. Cook them, stirring regularly, until the water is evaporated. If the potatoes are not cooked at this point, add more water and repeat the process until they are cooked. They should not be mushy but still fairly firm - yet definitely cooked.

Once the potatoes are to your satisfaction, add the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Continue cooking and stirring constantly until these new ingredients are absorbed into the potatoes, then turn them out into a serving dish. Cover and let them cool to room temperature before serving.

Posted in: Ontario Food