One of the best meals I tasted when I was travelling around the Yucatan a few years ago was in a small cafe on the main street in Tulum.
The cafe was towards the end of the main street away from the tourist eateries. Definitely a local restaurant serving local people, a little on the run down side and not the sort of place that most tourists would venture into.
My partner and I, not sure what to order, pointed to a picture on the laminated menu. That was the first time we tried aranchera, a Mexican steak, and it was wonderful.
I later learnt that aranchera is not a dish but a cut of beef and each restaurant has it’s own way of preparing it. Although we tried it several times on our travels it was never as good as in that little cafe in Tulum.
The reason I mention this is because in my search for a decent recipe for aranchera I came across this little gem.
It was actually a side dish to an aranchara recipe and I decided to give both a try.
Sad to say the steak was nothing special but the potatoes were definitely worthy of a mention.
If you are wondering what variety of potato I have used in the photo, they are Anya. A strange looking potato but in my opinion one of the best for taste and texture.
CORIANDER AND LIME POTATOES
Serves 3
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons olive oil plus a little for drizzling
500 g new potatoes, halved lengthways
2 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
salt and black pepper
juice ½ lime
handful coriander leaves, chopped
METHOD:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan with a lid. Add the potatoes and stir fry over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until lightly coloured.
Add the shallots, garlic and chillies and season with the salt and pepper. Stir fry for a few minutes more until the shallots are translucent.
Add 125 ml water to the pan, cover and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the water is absorbed and the potatoes are cooked. This should take around 7-10 minutes.
Remove from the heat, stir in the lime juice, coriander and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.
