Next to the vibrant and trendy sweet potato, the humble white potato has garnered a bit of a reputation for “blandness”.
Which is a bit unfair, if you ask us. While boiled potatoes probably won’t tantalise your tastebuds, adding a few extras can transform these tubers into the most decadent and versatile dishes. From the crispiest chip to the silkiest mash, spuds can do it all!
What’s more, a potato in moderation is actually good for you! They contain essential vitamins like vitamin A and lots of starch to promote regularity.
If you love spuds as much as we do – or still need convincing – your tummy will be rumbling by the time you finish reading these potato recipes.
1. Twice-cooked “crackle” potatoes.
We’ll warn you now: these potatoes are addictive. Boil the spuds (with the skin on!) until they are just cooked. Cover in salt and oil/butter/both and whack in a really hot oven, watching they don’t burn. The skin will come away and turn into “crackle”, while the insides stay soft and fluffy.
Boost this: Infuse the oil with herbs of your choice – we’ve had great results with sage butter (YUM). Want to get even more decadent? Try duck fat.
2. Potato bake.
Potato bake (or gratin) follows the ancient cooking wisdom of putting cheese on top of things. Cheese makes everything better, especially when it’s all golden and melty.
Boost this: Process some stale sourdough with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a garlic clove. Sprinkle these breadcrumbs over the cheesy topping before you bake.
Potato Bake with Rosemary + Cheddar
3. Roasted hasselbacks.
This trick will have everyone believing you have mad kitchen skillz! Make parallel slices in the spud, starting at the top and stopping just short of the bottom. As they cook, the slices will fan out and crisp up, like a potato concertina.
Boost this: Brush these with fat before you put them in the oven, and again halfway through cooking as the slices open up. You can also put slices of bacon or cheese in between the slices, because why not?
4. Stuffed potato skins.
Potato skins have plenty of nutrients, so we hate to throw them away! Bake buttered potatoes until soft, then slice lengthways and scoop out the flesh (you can save and use later in bubble ‘n’ squeak). Then brush the potato skins with butter and bake again until crisp. Then stuff ‘em with whatever you like!
Boost this: You don’t have to go for the normal sour cream and chives. The IQS team suggest you try crispy bacon bits, guacamole, cheesy beans or Marmite (our CEO Zoe will put Marmite on anything!).
5. Colcannon.
From cottage pie to croquettes, mashed potato is great in all of its variants. But a particularly amazing recipe is colcannon, an Irish dish which is flecked with green bits of cabbage or kale. Oh, and lashings of butter and cream.
Boost this: When serving, make a hole in the mash and add a square of good-quality butter. It will melt into a gorgeous golden well. It’s so good, the Irish have even written songs about it!
What’s your favourite way to cook potatoes?
0 comments :
Post a Comment