The first time I was served this I found it completely bizarre, as you may. But I loved it instantly. It’s from Szechwan but is equally at home with Asian and European dishes, as long as they have some guts. The quality of this dish is maintained for only a few minutes; as it gets cold, it becomes far less appealing. So—really—prepare it at the last minute and serve it immediately.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　4 medium potatoes, peeled

　　3 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed

　　2 fresh Thai chiles or 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or 5 or 10 small dried chiles, or about 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Shred the potatoes, using the julienne blade of a mandoline, the shredding disk of a food processor, or a box grater. Plunge into the boiling water and remove after 30 seconds; immediately rinse under cold running water. The potatoes should remain quite crunchy; do not cook them until they are tender. Drain.

　　

Step 2

Put the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add the chiles and cook until they sizzle, about a minute, then add the potatoes. Cook, stirring constantly, just until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add some salt and pepper, then taste and adjust the seasoning and serve immediately.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.