Roasted Russian Banana Potatoes or Fingerling Potatoes

Fingerling potatoes have a creamy, almost sweet flavor that makes them a nice alternative to ordinary white, yellow or red potatoes. Their unusual elongated shape, which slightly resembles fingers, will give your plate a different look.

They're considered waxy potatoes (like red potatoes, white potatoes, and Yukon golds), which means they're great for roasting and boiling. When it comes to mashing, you're better off with starchy potatoes like Russets.

Fingerling potatoes are available in multiple colors, including yellow, orange, red or even purple. So you can use a combination of colors or just one. The yellow ones, sometimes referred to as Russian banana potatoes are probably the most common.

You can halve them lengthwise before roasting or roast them whole, depending on your preference. Size also matters. If they're on the larger side, halving might be best. Otherwise, I prefer to roast them whole. (You can also slice them crossways into rounds, which is useful if you're planning to sauté them.)

By the way, fingerling potatoes are terrific for making potato salad, because they stay firm when you boil them, and they have a lovely flavor. And by potato salad, I mean the American kind, with either a mayonnaise- or vinaigrette-based dressing.

Ingredients:

1 bag of Russian banana potatoes


Seasonings: garlic powder, salt, pepper and rosemary
Olive oil

Directions:

1. Clean and discard any imperfections, then cut in half lengthwise*

2. Place on a foil lined baking sheet.

3. Season with salt and pepper, garlic powder and rosemary 

4. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes 

5. Put in a preheated 425F oven for 20 minutes.

* If you prefer you can leave them whole, but bake them 20-25 minutes