Calabria / Cosenza
Patate ’Mpacchiuse
Calabrian skillet potatoes with crisp, sticky edges
These Calabrian fried potatoes are sliced thin and cooked in a skillet with olive oil and onion until they are tender inside with crisp, sticky edges.
Tested and written by Erika A. Cochran
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Prep
15 minutes
Cook
35 minutes
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Region
Calabria
What you’ll need
Ingredients
Written for 4.
Showing quantities at 1× the original recipe.
- 2¼ lb waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes), peeled and sliced ⅛–¼ inch thick (about 5–6 medium potatoes)
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 dried Calabrian chilli, crumbled (optional)
- Fine sea salt
- A few basil or oregano leaves (optional)
At the stove
Instructions
Rinse the potato slices in cold water to remove surface starch, then dry them thoroughly in a towel. Wet potatoes will steam instead of browning.
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes in an even layer and season with salt.
Cook for about 10 minutes without stirring so a crust forms underneath, then turn the potatoes over in large sections with a spatula.
Add the onion and the chilli, lower the heat slightly, and continue cooking for 20–25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.
The potatoes are ready when they are golden, soft inside, and sticking together in patches. Season again, add the herbs, and serve straight from the pan.
Recipe notes
Waxy potatoes — red potatoes, Yukon Gold, or fingerlings — hold their shape when cooked; floury ones like Russets break down.
A cast iron or heavy steel pan holds the steady heat this dish needs.
Turn in sections rather than stirring, or the slices break apart before they can stick together.
Context
Patate ’mpacchiuse is a well-known Calabrian potato dish, strongly associated with the Sila plateau in the province of Cosenza, where the local potatoes are prized. The name is dialect for “stuck together”.
Sources: Editorial adaptation of documented Calabrian regional cooking, Casa Magnelli Kitchen
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