The PRovidence Journal / Sandor Bodo

Linda Empoliti of East Providence wrote:

“My husband and I recently had dinner at Pot au Feu restaurant. Our dinners came with roasted sweet and white potatoes with a dill dipping sauce. These potatoes were to die for. The potatoes were roasted to perfection and when dipped in the dill sauce were so delicious we would love to have this recipe. Thank you.”

Pot au Feu Bistro, 44 Custom House St., Providence, is one of a few places that will share a Chef’s Secret in a heartbeat. Chef John B. Richardson has honed his recipes well over the years.

All entrees at Pot au Feu are accompanied by a basket of warmed French bread, Salad Verte (mixed greens with cruets of Mustard and Raspberry Vinaigrettes) and a choice of potato or vegetable including Dills, the recipe requested by Linda.

The menu describes them as “Our special combination of fried sweet and russet potatoes with sour cream Dill Sauce (while they last).”

Now you can eat them at home to your heart’s content. That is as long as you remember to make the potatoes a day ahead. And you’ll need a deep fryer, too.

On second thought, maybe enjoying them with a lovely French dish sounds more appealing.

What is Chef’s Secret?

We invite readers who would like to know the recipe for a favorite restaurant dish to write or e-mail. Give us your name and daytime phone and tell us what makes the dish so special to you. We’ll ask the chef to share. E-mail gciampa@projo.com, fax (401) 277-8175 or write to Gail Ciampa, Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902.

POT AU FEU’S DILL POTATOES1

POT AU FEU’S DILL POTATOES

2 medium sweet potatoes

2 medium russet potatoes

For dill sauce:

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon shallot, finely minced

1-2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of white pepper

One day in advance: Bake potatoes until just done. Refrigerate overnight. Combine ingredients for dill sauce and refrigerate overnight.

The next day: Preheat deep fryer to 350 degrees.

Remove potatoes from fridge and cut them in half, then in half again lengthwise. Cut into 1 inch chunks.

Lower potatoes into deep fryer slowly and cook until crispy.

Arrange on a plate and serve the sauce on the side in a ramekin.

Serves 4.