Equipment
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 600 g baby new potatoes, scrubbed clean, skin on
- 15 g kosher salt
Xi'an Spice Blend
- 4 g cumin seeds
- 2 g sichuan peppercorns
- 2 g fennel seeds
- 3 g dried chili flakes
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 2 g granulated sugar
Aromatics and Frying
- 45 ml neutral cooking oil
- 3 garlic, finely minced
- 1 ginger, finely minced
- 2 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
- 10 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 207 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 23 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 1767 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 705 mg
- Calcium
- 78 mg
- Iron
- 6.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 44 mg
- Phosphorus
- 75 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 14 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 21 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 23 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 1.7 mg
- Folate
- 32 mcg
- Water
- 138 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, add the kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil at 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes until fork-tender, then drain completely in a colander and let steam dry for 5 minutes.
While the potatoes are drying, place the cumin seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds in a dry wok or skillet over medium heat. Toast for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until highly aromatic and slightly darkened.
Transfer the toasted whole spices to a mortar and pestle. Grind into a coarse powder, then stir in the dried chili flakes, fine sea salt, and granulated sugar. Set aside.
Place each dried potato on a cutting board and gently press down with the flat side of a chef knife or the heel of your hand until the skin breaks and the potato flattens to about half its original height. Keep the potato intact.
Heat the neutral cooking oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the flattened potatoes in a single layer and sear for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through, until deep golden brown and heavily crisped on both sides.
Push the potatoes to the sides of the wok to expose the center. Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, and the white parts of the scallions to the center and saute for 1 minute until intensely fragrant.
Sprinkle the prepared Xi'an spice blend evenly over the potatoes and aromatics. Toss vigorously for 30 seconds over the heat to coat everything thoroughly, allowing the spices to bloom briefly in the remaining oil without burning.
Remove the wok from the heat immediately. Garnish with the reserved green parts of the scallions and the roughly chopped cilantro. Serve hot.
Chef's Notes
- Smashing the boiled potatoes serves two crucial functions: it dramatically increases the surface area for maximum crispness during searing, and it creates ragged crevices that trap the dry spice blend perfectly.
- Allowing the boiled potatoes to steam-dry in the colander before smashing ensures the exterior is devoid of excess moisture, which guarantees a much faster and crispier sear in the wok.
- Sichuan peppercorns provide a unique tingling, numbing sensation known as málà. If you find the numbing effect overwhelming, reduce the quantity by half rather than omitting it entirely, as its citrusy aroma is essential to the Xi'an flavor profile.
- Do not skip the small amount of sugar in the spice mix. It does not make the dish sweet, but rather acts as a flavor balancer that rounds out the intense savory notes and bridges the heat of the chilies with the earthiness of the cumin.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. They will lose their crispness but retain excellent flavor.
Reheating: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of oil to restore crispness, or in a 200C oven for 10 minutes.
Troubleshooting
The finished dish tastes excessively bitter
Cause: The cumin and Sichuan peppercorns were burned either during the dry toasting phase or when tossed in the wok at the very end.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Toast spices over medium heat and remove immediately once fragrant. When adding the final spice blend to the wok, do not leave it on high heat for longer than 30 seconds.
Potatoes fell apart completely into a mash
Cause: Potatoes were over-boiled or crushed too aggressively.
Fix: Continue frying as a deeply spiced rustic potato hash rather than individual potatoes.
Prevention: Check potatoes at 10 minutes; they should only just allow a fork to enter. Press very gently when smashing, stopping as soon as the skin breaks.
Cultural Context
Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, is renowned for its vibrant Muslim Quarter and Silk Road heritage, yielding a street food culture defined by bold, warming spices. The heavy use of cumin, chilies, and Sichuan peppercorn reflects this historical intersection of Middle Eastern and Chinese culinary techniques. Introducing these robust, dry-spiced street food flavors to a Thanksgiving table offers an electrifying palate-cleanser that perfectly cuts through the traditional heavy, creamy, and sweet holiday side dishes.
