Posts Tagged: recipes

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3
May 11

Potato royalty

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There are few ingredients as versatile as the potato. It lends itself to all manner of dishes, from the spice-filled curries of India like Aloo Gobi to the simple, unctuous French classic, pommes dauphinoise, rich, creamy and decadent and pairs well with so many dishes.

There are few more delicious things than a perfectly cooked chip – both fluffy and crunchy – or indeed a roast potato, shell broken and gravy spilled in. And mash – surely, the ultimate comfort food – a veritable hug on a plate.

There are several contenders for the title of King of the Spuds but first place must go to the Jersey Royal. Cooked in minted water, tossed, still warm, with a generous knob of butter and sea salt they make the most royal of accompaniments to any number of dishes.

Simple preparations are best for the potatoes – try these delicious Jersey Royal recipes by clicking the links below.

Jersey Royals with pancetta and asparagus

Honey-roast Jersey Royals with yoghurt and mint shoulder of lamb

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26
Mar 09

Blog: Under the influence

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I keep track of all my cooking in little black book, writing everything down as there have been too many instances of “Wow that was great – what was in it?”. A dash of this and a handful of that all seemed so simple at the time, but by the next day they’re hard to recall.

Reading back over it is a strange and interesting experience. I can see what I cooked for whom and on what occasion. The successes and failures, the phases of eating I went through, the weeks of Asian food followed by French and British, Spanish or Mexican – it’s all there.

Pulled pork tacos with smoky salsa sit alongside frozen plum yogurt.  The latest pages contain various brownie recipes I tried to get just right.

There are empty pages, too, where I’ve meant to write up things the next day or revisit dishes long since forgotten.

The pulled pork recipe is there, but a page sits blank where the salsa should have gone. And sadly the whole experience is so far in the past I can’t even remember the name of the chillies I made it with.

An experiment for another time and a new culinary adventure…

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13
Mar 09

A taste of the Emerald Isle

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Of all the edible treats Ireland has to offer, surely the potato is the most famous. It has been the staple crop for over 400 years, and you can see why.

Filling and deeply comforting, it’s a perfect flavour absorber in Irish stew. Alternatively mash with plenty of butter, cream and kale to make the classic Irish dish colcannon, or try that quintessentially Irish and pub favourite champ, with spring onions folded through the mash.

Bearing in mind the exuberant imbibing that usually accompanies March 17’s St Patrick’s Day, something that soaks up a few of those extra pints of Guinness, quaffed in honour of Irish chums, wouldn’t go amiss.

 

The following is a twist on a classic which also makes a perfect breakfast the morning after the night before.

 

Colcannon cakes with bacon and eggs (serves 4)

  • 1kg potatoes
  • 75g butter
  • Splash of milk
  • 250g kale, chard or cabbage
  • 4tbs plain flour
  • 8 rashers bacon
  • 4 eggs

 

Method

Peel potatoes, quarter and boil in salted water for 20 minutes until tender. Drain, allow to steam a little, and mash with butter, milk and salt and pepper. Allow to cool.

Cook kale in boiling water for a few minutes until tender. Drain and allow to cool.

Mix kale with potato and form into either four or eight cakes – depending on how large you like them.

Dip cakes in flour and shallow fry for 7-8 minutes on each side until golden. Keep warm in a low oven while you fry the bacon and then the eggs.

Place potato cake(s) on each plate and top with bacon and fried egg.

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