Hearty enough to star at the center of the plate, this delicious potato dish also makes a great side for roast chicken or pork. This recipe originally appeared with this article.

Serves 4

  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 tablespoon cut into 4 pieces and kept chilled in the refrigerator)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more if needed
  • 12 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, quartered if large, halved if small
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound fingerling potatoes, cut in half lengthwise, and if longer than 2 inches, cut in half again crosswise
  • • 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, water, or a combination
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
  • 2 ounces stemmed baby spinach leaves
  • 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish

 

  1. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, and 2 teaspoons water.

 

  1. In a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet (that has a lid), heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and 3/4 teaspoon salt, and turn the heat to medium-high.

 

  1. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have released their liquid, shrunken, and become nicely browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a plate. Let the pan cool a minute.

 

  1. Return the pan to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the butter has melted, arrange the fingerlings, cut side down, in one layer on the bottom of the pan. (If one or two don’t quite fit, no worries; just prop them up against sides.) Season the potatoes with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cover loosely and cook, without stirring, until the potato pieces are a deep golden brown on the bottom, about 5 to 7 minutes.

 

  1. Uncover and add the chicken broth or water to the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover loosely. Cook until the potatoes are tender (check with a paring knife) and the liquid has reduced to 2 to 3 tablespoons, about 12 to 15 minutes. 

 

  1. Uncover, add the minced garlic to the pan, and cook, stirring very gently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms back to the pan, along with the spinach, the thyme, and the lemon juice mixture. Stir gently but thoroughly until all the spinach is wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.

 

  1. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cold butter until just melted. Transfer to a serving platter or plates and serve immediately, garnished with the thyme sprigs if you like.