Calabria / Cosenza
Patate ’Mpacchiuse
Sliced potatoes cooked until sticky and crisp at the edges
From the Ro & Ti kitchen — Patate ’Mpacchiuse in motion.
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
35 minutes
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Region
Calabria
What you’ll need
Ingredients
- 2¼ lb waxy potatoes, peeled and sliced ⅛–¼ inch thick (about 5–6 medium potatoes)
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil Extra Virgin Olive Oil →
- 1 dried Calabrian chilli, crumbled (optional)
- Fine sea salt
- A few basil or oregano leaves (optional) Sea Salt & Dried Oregano Set →
At the stove
Instructions
- 1
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.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes in an even layer and season with salt.
- 3
Cook for about 10 minutes without stirring so a crust forms underneath, then turn the potatoes over in large sections with a spatula.
- 4
Add the onion and the chilli, lower the heat slightly, and continue cooking for 20–25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.
- 5
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
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, Ro & Ti Kitchen
The pieces used here
From the Kitchen
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