Cartofi noi la ceaun cu usturoi (Romanian new potatoes and garlic)

A staple and everyone's favorite in Romania, come spring time. Each time new potatoes hit the markets, people rush to get them and oil up their ceaun pots.

A 'ceaun' is a heavy-bottomed cast iron pot, ideal for making food which require high heat without the risk of burning. Popcorn and chicken pot stew are the other most common things to prepare in such a pot.

As you can see, I didn't have one on hand here because I wasn't at home. So, rest assured that a regular pot (or deep fryer) will do. Of course, a cast iron pot will make it taste better (really), but don't fret if you don't have one.

Next, let's talk about the garlic paste (mujdei). It's a staple in Romanian cuisines and every family boasts of their recipe for it being the best. I also featured it in other local specialty recipes featured here, such as the Moldavian fried carp with polenta. It's strong, but you can make it mellow with another bit of cream. However you make it, rest assured it's delicious.

Last year: nothing.
Two years ago: nothing.
Three years ago: nothing.
Four years ago: Smoked butterfish with lemon-horseradish sauce on latkes.
Five years ago: Fluffy fried bananas with lemon posset and sesame.
Six years ago: Avocado salad with carrot-ginger dressing (vegan).
Seven years ago: Tandoori oven-baked chicken (Indian).
Eight years ago: Chicken and broccoli stir-fry with oyster sauce, Gougeres (French cheese puffs), Hazelnut and coffee chip cookies and Surimi and asparagus noodle salad.




Ingredients (serves 2-3):

• 1 kg new fingerling potatoes
• 50 ml sunflower oil
• flaky sea salt

For the mudjei paste:

• 150 ml yogurt
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• squueze of lemon juice
• 5 g chives or dill, finely chopped
• fine salt to taste

Peel or scrub the new potatoes until clean. Scrubbing is preferred, because it allows a bit of the potato peel to stay on. This will mean extra crispiness when the potatoes are done. Cut them into halves or slices (depending on how big they are). The final pieces should be bite-sized.

Heat the sunflower oil in the pot and drop the potatoes in. Fry them on high heat, mixing gently, until all the slices are well fried (golden-brown). Sprinkle generously with flaky salt. 

Meanwhile, prepare the garlic sauce (mujdei) by crushing the garlic in a mortar and pestle and mixing it with the other ingredients. Keep it as a dip for the freshly fried spring potatoes.

Serve hot. Dig in! :)