Rx Recipes: Crispy Roast Potatoes
Third-year student, Kevin Cheng, brings us this hearty recipe for cold winter days
Recipe by Kevin Cheng | Published January 23, 2024
Our Rx Recipes series explores recipes provided by faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. During these coldest days of winter, third-year student, Kevin Cheng brings us a simple recipe for hot-and-hearty roast potatoes.
Ingredients:
2 lbs of Russet or Yukon potatoes
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp canola oil
1-2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional: Parsley, hard cheese, cayenne
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
- Cut two pounds of potatoes into 1″- 2″ cubes
- Add a generous amount of salt and 1 tsp of baking powder to a pot of water. This will help break down the proteins in the potatoes to make them crispy and fluffy when roasted.
- Boil the potatoes until fork-tender; about 20-30 minutes
- Drain the cooked potatoes in a colander, letting the water evaporate in the colander
- Toss cooked potatoes with 2 tbsp of oil, Old Bay Seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Optional: add cayenne during this step.
- Place potatoes on baking sheet and spread evenly
- Bake for 40-45 minutes
- Optional: After baking, and while the potatoes are still hot, toss with herbs and cheese such as parsley, Parmesan, and Pecorino Romano
This recipe comes to us from Kevin Cheng, a third-year PharmD student. A talent for cooking runs in Kevin’s family; his father is a classicaly-trained chef who won national cooking competitions in China in the 1980s. “I like to spend my free time either cooking or eating different cuisines,” Kevin says. “Recently, I’ve found an amazing Yemeni place in Garner.”
Kevin is also passionate about advocating for the LGBTQIA+ and immigrant communities. in pharmacy school, he has explored an interest in hematology/oncology and wants to pursue a career in cell therapy oncology after graduation.
Thank you, Kevin, for the recipe!