Sometimes you just gotta tweak it!

You know those recipes you see in magazine that look phenomenal in the picture? And you think, yeah! I can totally do that! It will turn out just like that picture and be so delicious my kids will even eat it!! So you go get all the ingredients and put your fancy pants apron because it's pretty and make you feel chef-y  and get about half way in...

and realize you so don't have time or patience for all this

But you're half way there, and you gotta eat, and thankfully the girls are completely smitten with the little boy next door so they are happily playing with him and you've got the time

and completely lack the patience

Any hands up out there? That was me a week or so ago. I found this AMAZING recipe and just had to try it out and got halfway in and thought

yep, time to tweak it

Normally I like to make a recipe faithfully at least once, following all the measurements and time and temperature indications and the like.

​But this one I just couldn't. It all started when I had to trade in some of my airline miles in order to keep the rest. Shows you how much we've gotten out and about lately. Anyway, I choose Sunset magazine for a mere 400 miles or so not knowing much about it, and to my surprise, I actually like it. 

image courtesy of wikipedia

Among the travel itineraries, restaurant reviews, Mammoth Cave articles and gardening tips, I found this recipe for Potato Confit with corn, ricotta, and chanterelles. Looks yummy, doesn't it? ​

And it was. 

How could something bathed in melted butter and oil not be delicious? Still, around step 6 stating "gently smash cooled potatoes between your fingers and thumbs" I lost patience. At least I made it that far. 

So here is my tweaked, bathed and still fantastic version of it, just for you. ​

Ingredients

1/2 lb plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups plus 2 tbsp oil
1 3/4  lbs yellow fingerling potatoes
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
3 ears of corn shucked
1/3 mushrooms ( I ended up using baby bellas)
1/4 minced shallot (or onion)
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 c white wine
3 cups chicken stock
1 bag of spinach arugula mix
fresh ricotta cheese

1. Heat 1/2 lb. butter (!) and 2 cups oil (!!) until melted. Cut potatoes as needed so they are all similar size. Add to pan and cover. Reduce heat to low and let them bathe in that lusciousness about 25-35 minutes, til tender. 

2. While potatoes are cooking, make lemon vinaigrette: whisk together lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside

3. Transfer potatoes to plate or shallow serving dish using a slotted spoon.  Sprinkle with a little salt and let them cool. 

4. Cut the kernels from the corn cob by standing the corn on it's narrow end in a bowl and slicing downward. Add kernels to a pot of boiling water and blanch 30-60 minutes. Remove and set aside. 

5. Heat oil in a pan and saute your mushrooms about 5-6 minutes. Add some salt and pep. 

6. Add corn to mushrooms. Pour white wine into the pan then chicken stock. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced, about 10 minutes. Add a little more butter, because why not. 

7. Pour the mixture over the potatoes. Toss spinach and arugula with vinaigrette and mound on top of potatoes. Dot with ricotta.

8. Feel absolutely decadent as you enjoy every delicious, buttery, melty morsel!

If you try it, let me know what you think!