A different kind of roasted potatoes

(The Nosher via JTA)-I love roasted potatoes for Friday night, but sometimes they can get a bit boring. Of course you can dress up your potatoes with zaatar, mustard or even truffle oil, just to name a few of the hundreds of ways you can make roasted potatoes.

But I have been perusing a lot of Middle Eastern cookbooks lately and I got it into my head to make a harissa dipping sauce to go with potatoes. What is harissa? It's a spicy chili paste native to North African cuisine and varies from country to country but typically includes dried chilis, garlic, olive oil and spices like coriander, cumin, caraway and mint.

If you've never made harissa, don't be scared. It is much easier than you might imagine. I really liked this how-to guide from The Kitchn that explains how to use various ingredients to make the spicy paste. When I went to make this recipe for Shabbat last week, I opened my cabinet and was like "Oh f@$%ck! I don't have any of the right kinds of peppers." But I ended up using two kinds of dried peppers that I did have, a regular old red bell pepper I roasted under my broiler, garlic cloves, fresh mint, olive oil and tomato paste. There are countless ways to make harissa, so you can use what you have on hand, research your favorite combination or (gasp) just buy some at the supermarket.

At the last minute I decided to marinate my potato wedges in lemon, herbs, garlic and olive oil for a complimentary flavor to the spicy harissa. I was not disappointed. If you have the time, I recommend marinating your potatoes 1-2 hours ahead of time to intensify the flavors.

These were anything but boring Friday night potatoes and there wasn't a single leftover potato during cleanup. You can go back to simple roast potatoes next week. Why not try something a little different this week?

Ingredients:

For the potatoes:

4 medium russet potatoes, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick wedges

juice and zest from 2 large lemons (or 3 small ones)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

For the harissa mayo:

1 cup mayo

3 tablespoons harissa

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine lemon juice and zest, parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss potatoes with mixture and allow to sit up to 2 hours.

While potatoes marinate, combine mayo and harissa. Add more or less depending on your taste for spice.

Grease 2 large baking sheets. Spread potatoes in an even layer. Roast for 20 minutes.

Flip potatoes. Roast for another 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden. Serve warm with harissa mayo for dipping.

Shannon Sarna is editor of The Nosher.

The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.