You can’t imagine how many requests I get for a foolproof recipe for roast spuds, so I’m going to devote this entire column to my favourite potato dishes including crisp, shaggy roasties to enjoy over Christmas and beyond.
I LOVE potatoes. I could write a whole book of delicious potato recipes. For me, it’s the hero of the vegetable world. I wince every time I hear it referred to as the humble spud! Perhaps it’s taken for granted just because it’s so inexpensive, super versatile and readily available…I’ll include my favourite recipe for roasties with lots of riffs, but the secret, as ever, is to source really terrific potatoes with a high starch content. My favourites are Golden Wonders but Maris Piper, King Edward and Dutch Creams are also known for their floury texture and crisp, shaggy crust.
Choose unwashed potatoes, organic if possible.
Scrub them under the cold tap, save the peels for potato peel crisps to nibble with Christmas drinks or sprinkle over salads. Par boil in well-salted water for 2-3 minutes and drain. The next, super important consideration…what fat or oil? For maximum flavour, avoid vegetable oil, use extra virgin olive oil or better still, duck, goose, turkey, chicken, pork or beef fat. The difference in flavour will be phenomenal, (save fats in little containers in the fridge during the year, they keep for months).
I also love squashed roasties – drizzle the roasting pan with one of the above. I often use extra virgin olive oil for this, an irresistible way to use leftover boiled potatoes – my family argue vociferously over them!
My last one, a creamy gratin with or without cheese is a ‘must’ to have in your fridge or freezer to pop into the oven over Christmas (check out the potato and mushroom gratin in my Examiner column of 11th October). Delicious with cold meats on St. Stephen’s Day, a well-loved spontaneous accompaniment to a meal at any time over the holiday season.
The secret of fluffy mash is another frequently asked question. Here again, the potato variety is super important, seek out a starchy rather than waxy potato, e.g., King Edward, Golden Wonder, Maris Piper, Yukon Gold or Désirée.
Boil in their jackets in well-salted water for max flavour. Peel while hot and beat well in a food mixer, add boiling milk, loads of butter, a good dollop of cream and lots of seasoning.
The latest edition to my potato recipe repertoire is this hybrid Hasselback gratin. Starchy Russet potatoes are best. Could be a comforting dish on its own or a side with forgotten treasures from your fridge!
Always keep
leftover boiled potatoes, brilliant for sauté potatoes or arrange thick slices
on a well-oiled roasting tin. Season well, pop into a hot oven, flip over when
golden, scatter generously with grated cheese and continue to cook until melty
and crusty at the edges. You could add a few crispy bacon lardons, a sprinkling
of chilli flakes…Scatter some freshly chopped fresh herbs over the top just
before you serve, a delicious one-pan supper.
Best Roasties
This is my ‘go to’ recipe for crispy, shaggy roasties. Cut into halves or quarters if you’re after a crisper surface. If you fancy, scatter with fresh thyme leaves or freshly chopped rosemary, halfway through cooking.
Ingredients
8 potatoes, unwashed Golden Wonders or Kerr’s Pinks
Method
Choose medium to large potatoes of even size. Scrub and peel. Put into a saucepan, cover with cold salted water and bring to the boil just for 1 or 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Lightly scratch the surface with a fork and season with salt.
Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8.
Put the potatoes into smoking hot fat or olive oil. Baste occasionally. Roast until soft in the hot oven for 30-45 minutes depending on the size. Drain well on kitchen paper. Serve immediately.
Alternatively, put the
potatoes into smoking hot fat in the same tin as the meat, 40-45 minutes before
the meat is fully cooked and baste well. Cook until soft. (Baste the potatoes
when you baste the meat and turn them over after 25 minutes). Drain on kitchen
paper and serve immediately.
Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
Everyone loves a bowl of fluffy mash – a perfect side for so many dishes but I’ll happily tuck into a bowl with a lump of butter melting into the centre – what could be more comforting…
Serves 4
900g unpeeled potatoes, preferably Golden Wonders or Kerr’s Pinks
300ml creamy milk
1-2 egg whites or 1 whole egg and 1 egg white
25-50g butter
2 tbsp freshly chopped herbs e.g. parsley, chives, thyme, lemon balm
Scrub the potatoes well. Put them into a saucepan of cold water, add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil. When the potatoes are about half cooked, 15 minutes approx. for ‘old’ potatoes, strain off two-thirds of the water, replace the lid on the saucepan, put on to a gentle heat and allow the potatoes to steam until they are cooked. Peel immediately by just pulling off the skins, so you have as little waste as possible, mash while hot (see below). (If you have a large quantity, put the potatoes into the bowl of a food mixer and beat with the spade).
While the potatoes are being peeled, bring about 300ml of milk to the boil (or better still, use half milk, half cream). Beat the egg whites into the hot mashed potatoes and add enough boiling creamy milk to mix to a soft light consistency suitable for piping, add the herbs and then beat in the butter, the amount depending on how rich you like your potatoes. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Note: If the potatoes are not peeled and mashed while hot and if the boiling milk is not added immediately, the potato will be lumpy and gluey.
Add chopped scallions for champ, cooked kale or cabbage for colcannon, peas and parsley for Ulster Champ…
Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin
Inspired by a recipe by J. Kenji López-Alt in The New York Times. The main difference here is placing the well-seasoned sliced potatoes in the casserole dish vertically. Arrange them on their edges rather than laying them flat. This will result in crisp ridges on top. A mandoline or food processor speeds up the process. Pack the potatoes tightly to keep them standing upright for the Hasselback effect.
Serves 6
Ingredients
75g finely grated Gruyère or Comté cheese
50g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
450ml cream
2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 – 1.75kg russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 3mm thick on a mandoline slicer (12-14 medium potatoes approx.)
10g butter for greasing the casserole dish
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.
Combine the cheeses in a large bowl. Keep 40g of the grated cheese aside for later. Add the cream, garlic and thyme to the cheese mixture. Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the potato slices and toss with your hands until every slice is coated with the cream mixture. Making sure to separate any slices that are sticking together to get the cream mixture in between them.
Grease a casserole dish (20.5cm x 20.5cm and 5cm depth) with butter.
Pick up a handful of potatoes, organise them into a neat stack, and lay them in the casserole dish with their edges aligned vertically. Continue placing potatoes in the dish, working around the perimeter and into the centre until all the potatoes have been added. The potatoes should be very tightly packed. Add an additional potato if necessary.
Pour the excess cream/cheese mixture evenly over the potatoes until the mixture comes halfway up the sides of the casserole. You may not need all the liquid, but I like it nice and juicy.
Cover the dish tightly with damp parchment paper. Transfer to the oven and cook for 30 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. Remove the parchment paper and continue to bake until the top is pale golden brown, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and return to the oven. Cook until rich golden brown and crisp on top and around the edges, 30-40 minutes approx. Remove from the oven, allow to rest for a few minutes and serve.