* The firmer, yellow-fleshed potatoes work best (I used Dutch yellow potatoes), as they hold their shapes better and do not break apart so easily.

** Or any other vegetable cooking oil, if preferred.

*** I don't think this has to be top notch, expensive sake; any drinkable sake will do.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Scrub and peel the potatoes, and cut them into 10 or 12 pieces each (depending on size of potatoes).

Add them to the boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes. [Do not overcook; they should be somewhat tender and yet still have some firmness and bite to them. They will be cooked for a further 15-20 minutes later, and you don't want them disintegrating on you and becoming a mushy mess.] Drain well.

Heat a large nonstick skillet. Add the oil, then the potato pieces. Move them around so that they are all nicely coated with the oil.

Cook on high heat for about 5 minutes, sautéing occasionally, until they are lightly browned.

Pour in the sake (this will create a right noisy sizzle; it's okay there's no real danger here). Continue to cook on high heat for about 5 minutes, tossing and stirring the potatoes frequently, until the sake almost disappears. [When you first add the sake, it will look excessive - as if the potatoes are swimming in the stuff, and you're boiling or simmering the potatoes rather than frying them.

Not to worry; it's fine. The sake will slowly absorb and evaporate, and things will dry up again. Just be sure you aren't overly enthusiastic with the tossing and stirring and start breaking up the potatoes.] Season with the soy sauce. Mix well, so that the potatoes are evenly coated with the thick brown sauce that has formed. Turn the heat down to low. Taste and add more soy sauce if necessary.

Add the butter, stir and cook for another 5 minutes or so; until a crust has formed on the potatoes and each chunk is nicely brown and crispy on the outside.

Serve immediately.

Renée:

The play of flavors and textures is just wonderful. The aroma and taste of the sake is highlighted and lifted, yet mellowed and rounded out by the soy sauce. The neutral taste canvas of the potato provides a wonderful playground for this union of flavors.

And the icing on the potato must be the juxtaposition of the aromatic, crispy crust on the outside, and the tender, soft and fluffy flesh on the inside. Gorgeous! There are only a few points that I have made a mental note of, for the next time I make these: It's really important not to over-cook the potatoes at the boiling stage. Mine were a little overdone - we were busy poring over an article in the Sunday papers, and I momentarily forgot about the pot on the stove; the potatoes came out just a tad on the wrong side of soft. This meant that the surfaces started fluffing up and breaking down a little bit during the sautéing process, and impeded the crisping up of the crust.

I would cut the potatoes into smaller pieces, to get more crispy crust to every bite.

I'm also thinking that it might perhaps be more effective to use a non-stick wok, instead of a skillet. The former will probably give a better and more even distribution of heat, and help produce an even more delectable crust on the potatoes.

For brunch, I served these with some smoked salmon that were drizzled over with a light wasabi dressing, but I would have most happily eaten the potatoes on their own. They were seriously good.

It was a very spirited, warm, tingly and satisfying start to a relaxed and leisurely Sunday.

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