Get a cast iron pan. No, really. Cast iron. Go buy one if you don’t have one. You’ll thank me. Also make sure you have a lid that fits the pan. I find most stock-pot lids fit the average cast iron pan. If you don’t have that, use a baking sheet. It’ll work enough.
Get 8-12 baby potatoes. Any will do. I like the little red ones and the Yukon Golds. They should be no larger than an egg.
Wash and clean them, chop them in half. Then, keeping those halves together, halve them again. You’ll end up with quarters, but you want to keep two of the quarters touching so they look like they’re only in halves.
Put a thin layer of oil (canola or olive works) in the pan and turn it on low heat. As soon as the oil gets that weird sheen and there’s a shimmer on the surface, salt the pan. Use more than you think. These are potatoes. Turn the temp up to low/medium (a 4 on my stove) and let it sit there for a while.
Once the pan is heated up, put in the potatoes. The biggest ones go in the hottest spot. Ring them around and cook them on a low heat until you’re sure they’re going to burn. It’ll take 15-30 minutes, but at that point your taters will be browned on the bottom and they shouldn’t stick. Remember to salt the top of the potatoes. They suck up a lot.
Now! Put the lid on the pan, turn the heat as low as you can, and walk away for another 20-30 minutes. At about 25 I check the potatoes by sticking a sharp knife in the thickest one. If it glides in, my potatoes are done. Remove from pan and serve.
If you’re fancy, put ’em in a bowl and mix with caramelized onions or your garnish of choice. Green onions and cilantro with a dash of mayo or wasabi are my favorites, depending on what protein I’m eating. It tastes great with fish, sausage, eggs, or tempeh. Or bacon, so I’m told.