Potatoes and Apples "Risotto-Style"

I saw this recipe last fall, and I was so intrigued by it. Potatoes and apples, together? Cooked “risotto-style”? It sounded so strange, I just knew I had to give it a shot. And I’m glad I took a chance on it, because the end result was quite tasty!

My boys and I liked this side dish a lot, although my husband wasn’t really a fan. I believe the word he used to describe it was “weird.” And it definitely is different, I’ll give him that. You don’t often see parmesan cheese and apples together in one dish. I’ve cooked with apples in savory applications before, but I can’t remember a time I’ve ever seen them paired with potatoes or parmesan cheese. For me, though, the combination just worked (and it must’ve worked for my sons, as well, who both asked for seconds). The starchy, earthy potatoes balanced out the sweet-tart flavor of the apples nicely, and as the apples cooked, they broke down and made this wonderful sauce that coated the potatoes.

I think this is one of those divisive dishes that people are either going to love or hate. For my part, I thought this was an interesting seasonal side dish with tons of flavor, and something I’ll definitely try to sneak onto our menu again.

Potatoes and Apples “Risotto-Style”
adapted from Epicurious

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small dice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup crisp, dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Line a baking sheet with 2 layers of paper towels.

2. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring salted water to a boil (use about 1 tablespoon salt for every 4 quarts water). Add the potatoes and apples and boil, uncovered, until just starting to get tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the potatoes and apples and transfer to the paper-towel-lined baking sheet to cool.

3. In a small, heavy saucepan over moderate heat, heat 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, apples, and chicken stock and simmer, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is creamy and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheese, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.