Tag: potatoes

Potatoes and spinach

More potato recipes. Charlotte potatoes work so well in these dishes, their flavour is great, they hold their shape and their texture is so smooth when they are cooked. I had spinach in the freezer. Buying packs of fresh spinach at their expiry date is a good deal. I break up the brittle and frozen spinach leaves in the bag before use. 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 600g charlotte potatoes, or similar waxy potatoes, peeled and diced (1cm dice)
  • salt
  • 300g spinach leaves
  • 4 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1/2tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

METHOD:

  • Boil the potatoes in salted water for around 6 minutes, then drain and spread them out to cool
  • Steam the spinach until it is wilted, only takes a few minutes. Once it is cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as possible, and then chop, and set aside. 
  • Heat the oil in a wok or heavy frying pan, and when it is hot, add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the onion and garlic, turn the heat down and fry for a couple of minutes
  • Add the spinach, and keep cooking and stirring for another 10 minutes. 
  • Add the potato, 1 tsp salt, the garam masala and the cayenne pepper. Stir and mix until the potatoes are heated through and soft.  

 

Cauliflower and potato curry

I just ate the rest of the leftovers that I was going to have tomorrow. This is a delicious and fragrant dish, good served at room temperature as a side dish or snack, part of a picnic or a larger meal. It is good with parathas and sour lime pickle

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cauliflower
  • 2 large potatoes
  • 6 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 whole hot red peppers
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp salt
  • a grind of black pepper
  • 1 tsp garam masala

METHOD:

  • Dismember the cauliflower, reduce it to small florets, and put into a bowl of cold water
  • Peel and chop the potatoes into 1 to 1.5cm cubes, and put into a bowl of cold water for half an hour. 
  • When you are ready to start cooking, drain the vegetables and pat dry with a teatowel
  • Heat the oil in the bottom of a large frying pan or wok over a high heat. When the oil is hot put in the fenugreek, cumin, fennel and red peppers and stir once, then add the cauliflower and potatoes. 
  • Stir again, turn the heat to medium and add the salt, turmeric, pepper and coriander. Keep stirring from time to time and cook for around 7 minutes
  • Add around 50ml water, cover and turn the heat to low, and cook for another 7 minutes. 
  • Sprinkle with the garam masala, stir and serve. 

 

 

Potato and aubergines

Another recipe in the quest to try all of the potato recipes. This was very easy, but the original recipe didn’t make much, so I scaled it up. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil, such as rapeseed oil
  • 2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 450g potatoes, peeled and diced into 1cm dice (I used Charlotte potatoes)
  • 450g aubergine, cut into 1cm dice. 
  • 2 tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • fresh coriander leaf to garnish

METHOD:

  • In a large frying pan, heat the oil over a high heat and then put in the mustard seeds and stil. When they pop add the potatoes and aubergine, stir to mix and add all the other spices and salt. Continue to stir and mix for a minute or so, ensuring that the spices are evenly dispersed. 
  • Add 200ml water, bring it to the boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. It is worth stirring just before the end to ensure it isn’t sticking. 

Serve as part of a larger meal, in small bowls. 

 

Potato and mushroom soup

I am still focusing on recipes with potato in them. This is a very simple soup, quite rich and buttery with a great flavour. There are a lot of versions online, with differing herbs and proportions. This worked for me. You could substitute thyme for dill, or add cheese if you wished. 

I made this at the new house on the induction hob, and discovered my soup pan was not compatible. I ended up simmering the soup over the solid fuel stove, which worked perfectly. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 x 50g butter
  • 2 large leeks, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 1.5 litres chicken stock
  • 3 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp salt
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 2 bayleaves
  • 1kg potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 500g mushrooms, sliced
  • 300ml sour cream (or double cream)
  • 2 tbsp plan flour

METHOD:

  • In a large saucepan, melt 50g butter, and when it is foaming, add the carrots and the leeks, and fry over a medium heat for around 5 minutes, until the leeks start to colour brown a little at the edges. 
  • Add the stock, then the dill, salt, pepper and bayleaves. Finally, add the diced potatoes, and bring to a simmer. Cook for another 20 minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust if required. 
  • In a frying pan, melt another 50g butter until it is foaming, and fry the mushrooms. Stir these into the soup. 
  • Take some of the liquor from the soup, and mix with the flour, to form a smooth soft paste. Add the flour mixture and the cream into the soup, and simmer without boiling, so that the soup thickens. 
  • Serve with toasted brown bread. 

I don’t know that the flour is essential, but the soup was really good, and I haven’t tried many variations. If you use a vegetable stock, you have a vegetarian option. One online version also added soup pasta, another used onion and garlic. I prefer leeks with mushrooms, though. 

Minced lamb with potatoes

This is really delicious, warm and delicately flavoured. It is in Madhur Jaffrey’s book ‘Curry easy‘. The book suggests serving this with rice, dal, yoghurt and pickles. I skipped the rice, but I wish I hadn’t. I actually altered the quantities a little, as I had more minced lamb than the recipe asks for, and I didn’t want to refreeze any. 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 3 Tbsp rapeseed oil or sunflower oil
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 1/2  teaspoon finely chopped root ginger
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1300 g minced lamb (I minced some lamb that was in the freezer – I have a fab electric mincer)
  • 5 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes, pureed
  • 1 heaped tsp cumin seed
  • 3 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 450g peeled potatoes, chopped into 2cm chunks

METHOD:

  • In a large pan, hjeat the oil over a medium to high heat. When it is hot, add the cinnamon sticks, roll them in the hot oil for a few seconds and then add the onion, and fry for a few munites, until starting to brown. Then add the garlic and ginger and stir to mix for a minute
  • Add the lamb, stir and fry, breaking up the meat. Keep cooking until the meat loses its redness. 
  • Add yoghurt, tomatoes, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and turmeric and stir together, and bring back to a slow simmer. 
  • Add the salt, potatoes and around 700ml water, stir together and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes. 

 

 

 

Hungarian potato and sausage soup

I have a lot of potatoes this year, so I have been hunting about for innovative ways of cooking with them. I found this online, but adapted it for the UK. I sourced the smoked sausage online. It served six. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 50g butter
  • 200g smoked Hungarian sausage, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp sweet unsmoked paprika
  • 1.2 litres chicken stock
  • 1/2 cabbage, chopped (to fill a 1/2 litre jug)
  • 700g potatoes, peeled and diced (I used charlotte potatoes)
  • black pepper
  • a pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 2 bayleaves
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 100ml sour cream
  • 2 tbsp chopped spring onion or chives

METHOD:

  • In a large soup pan, melt the butter and cook the sliced sausage over a medium heat, around 3 minutes, and then remove the sausage from the pan using a slotted spoon. 
  • Next, fry the onion in the butter for around 5 minutes, until it is beginning to colour, and then add the garlic. After a couple of minutes, add the flour and paprika and cook for another couple of minutes.
  • Add 1.2 litres of chicken stock, stir to mix in well, and turn the heat up high to bring to a boil. Stir in the cabbage and sommer for a couple of minutes and then add the potatoes, black pepper, cayenne pepper and bayleaf. 
  • Simmer on a low heat for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it is not sticking. It is ready for the next step if the potatoes are tender. You can adjust the consistency of the soup by adding more stock. (I think I added around another 300ml in the end).
  • Add the sausage and vinegar, and simmer for another 10 minutes, and adjust the seasoning to taste. 
  • Serve in bowls with a swirl of sour cream and a garnish of chopped spring onions or other fresh herbs. 

I think this recipe would lend itself to a little adaptation. For example, you could use any smoked sausage, or oil instead of butter at the start. I was wondering about using kale as that would hold up better than cabbage to the long cooking time. It was pretty good though. 

Salmon fishcakes

This is a relatively straightforward recipe with local ingredients. It was a bit of a breakthrough for me, as I finally got to grips with poaching salmon in the microwave. The original recipe includes details of a super-fancy sauce that I might post later. The sauce is a bit of work, TBH but it was tasty. 

Anyway, on to the fishcakes. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 300g raw salmon
  • 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • water
  • 350g cooked potatoes, masked
  • 1 egg white
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • plain flour
  • 1 egg yolk and 1 egg, beaten together
  • breadcrumbs (I used panko breadcrumbs)

METHOD:

  • Poach the salmon. If you are doing this in a saucepan, put the salmon and onion and the lemon juice in the pan, just cover with water and then simmer for a few minutes until just cooked. Remove the fish from the pan, and allow to cool. Strain and reserve the stock. This can be used to make a fancy sauce (separate recipe).
  • If you are poaching the salmon in the microwave, put the salmon in a shallow dish with the onion and lemon juice, and 150ml boiling water. Cover and microwave on high for three minutes. Remove the salmon from the water and set aside to cool. 
  • When cool skin the salmon and remove any bones. Flake the flesh into a bowl, and add the potatoes, egg white, seasoning and parsley. Mix well. 
  • Divide the mixture into around 18 cakes. I made mine about the size of a pingpong ball, and then flattened them slightly. 
  • Dip each fish cake in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Chill until required. 
  • When you are ready, fry the fishcakes in hot oil. These are good with a green salad and a little tartare sauce. 

Chanterelles with garlic and potatoes

I have been given some delicious foraged chanterelles from the mainland, and it is not an ingredient I get too often. I tried this very simple Italian recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Approx 125g chanterelles, cleaned and sliced
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clover of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • approx 250g cooked salad potatoes, chopped
  • 15g butter

METHOD:

  • Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the garlic and the parsley, and cook gently for a couple of minutes
  • Turn the heat up a bit and add the sliced chanterelles, and cook for around five minutes. Remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon, and mix in the lemon juice.
  • Add the butter to the pan, and then add the potatoes. Cook them on a high heat until they are getting crispy, and then return the chanterelles to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Serve once the mushrooms are warmed through. 
  • You could garnish with chive flowers, or chopped parsley. 

 

Kale, pork and potatoes

An excellent, very simple meal, with bonus stock at the end for adding to soups and stews. I have a lot of kale this year, so look out for a series of kale recipes. This recipe serves 6 to 8 people. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Around 800g bacon joint or pre-soaked salted ham
  • 1 bayleaf
  • 1 tsp peppercorns
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 tbsp date syrup or brown sugar
  • 1 level tsp salt (if not using salted ham)
  • around 500g shredded kale
  • 1kg peeled new potatoes cut into chunks.

METHOD:

  • Put the ham or bacon joint into a large saucepan, and just about cover with water. Add the bayleaf, peppercorns, cloves, all-spice, date syrup, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook over a low heat for 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Add the potatoes and cabbage, and simmer until the potatoes are just cooked
  • Strain off and reserve the stock
  • Slice the bacon and serve on a bed of potatoes and kale. You can pour melted butter over the latter. 

Lamb rib stew

When buying locally slaughtered lamb or mutton, there are inevitably cuts of meat that may be less familiar, or harder to find recipes for. Ribs are one of these, not featured in posh recipe books. I made this last night, it was delicious. There is curry powder in there, but it is subtle, not a dominant flavour, just balancing the sweetness of the lamb. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil, such as rapeseed oil
  • 600g lamb ribs (if you have more, increase the curry powder and lemon juice to taste)
  • 1 heaped teaspoonful of Madras curry powder
  • salt and pepper
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 100g leeks, sliced
  • 100g carrots, in large chunks
  • 1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
  • a handful of parsley, roughly chopped
  • 500ml stock, (lamb stock or vegetable stock)
  • 30ml dry sherry
  • 4 potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced. Use a waxy potato such as Charlotte. 

METHOD:

  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole dish, and fry the lamb ribs over a high heat until browned. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, and spoon into a bowl. 
  • In the same pan, saute the leeks and garlic for a few minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook on a medium heat for a minute or two, until really fragrant. 
  • Add the meat back into the pan, along with the sherry, stock and parsley. Bring to a simmer and check the seasoning. 
  • Simmer at a low heat for around an hour and a half. Check that it is not boiling dry, and add water if necessary. This could be on the stove top or in the oven. 
  • Add the potatoes and carrots over the top, check for water, and simmer over a low heat for another hour. The longer and lower the cooking time, the more tender the meat will be.