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Archive for the ‘Potato’ Category

Smoked Mackerel Dauphinoise

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, Potato, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 15 May 2023| Leave a Comment »

Who doesn’t love a dauphinoise? This one is extra special with some smoked mackerel and is a meal in itself with some green salad on the side.

Wine Suggestion: Chardonnay is not commonly found in the Loire, but there are gems to be found, especially around the appellation of Cheverny where it is brilliantly blended with Sauvignon Blanc. Tonight an outlier from Touraine, Domaine Bellevue’s IGP Chardonnay. Classic crisp red apple flavours with layers of tropical and citrus notes; good body but without any flabby weight. Perfect for fish and dairy combination

Smoked mackerel dauphinoise – serves 4

  • 900g potatoes
  • 250ml milk
  • 250ml double cream
  • a small clove of garlic, crushed
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • 225g smoked mackerel, skin and bones removed and flaked into chunky pieces
  • a small handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Peel the potatoes and slice very thinly, a mandoline is the best job for this but watch your fingers. Dry the potatoes slices with a clean cloth, then spread out and season with salt and black pepper, mixing with your hands.

Pour the milk into a saucepan, add the potatoes and bring to the boil. Cover, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Add the cream, garlic and a generous grating of nutmeg and continue simmering for another 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the potatoes sticking to the pan. As soon as the potatoes are cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon and put a layer into a large ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the mackerel and parsley, then cover with the rest of the potatoes. Pour the creamy liquid over the top. Put some water into the base of a large roasting tin and set the potato dish into the tin, the water should come about half-way up the sides. Bake the dish in the oven for 10 to 20 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbling.

(Original recipe from Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course, Kyle Cathie Limited, 2001.)

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Dublin Coddle

Posted in Food, Irish Food, Pork, Potato, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 20 February 2023| Leave a Comment »

We’ve never tried Dublin coddle, mainly because it tends to be served with anaemic sausages. In this recipe by Neven Maguire you brown them; a far more sensible approach altogether.

Wine Suggestion: This dish works perfectly with a Grenache blend. For us this time, a current favourite as they’re drinking so well, Romain Roche’s Côtes du Rhône. So well balanced and smooth, but with a warmth of sunshine and gentle, velvety spices.

Dublin Coddle – serves 4 to 6

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • top-quality pork sausages – 2 per person
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 150g dry-cured bacon lardons
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 4 carrots, sliced
  • 750g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (use a mandoline if you’ve got one)
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 15g butter
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Heat half the oil in a large casserole dish and brown the sausages on all sides. Transfer to a board and cut each sausage into three chunky pieces, then set aside.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan and sauté the onions and bacon for 6-8 minutes, until lightly golden. Stir in the flour and thyme and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the sausages, carrots and half of the potatoes. Season generously, then shake to get everything even in the dish.

Turn off the heat and arrange the rest of the potatoes on top. Stir the Worcestershire sauce into the stock, then pour over the potatoes. Dot with the butter and season.

Cover the casserole with a lid and bake for 1 hour, then remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes or until the topping is tender and golden brown. Scatter over the parsley to serve.

(Original recipe from More Midweek Meals by Neven Maguire, Gill Books, 2022.)

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Roast Potatoes with Aïoli and Pine Nut Butter

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Potato, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 15 July 2022| Leave a Comment »

We love this side dish from the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen so much we’ve made it a few times over the past month and it’s been a hit every time. You can make the aïoli in advance and put it in the fridge which is useful.

Roast potatoes with aïoli and pine nut butter – serves 4

  • 750g baby new potatoes, halved lengthways
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 5g parsley, roughly chopped

FOR THE AÏOLI

  • 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
  • 100ml olive oil
  • 100ml sunflower oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 75g Greek-style yoghurt

FOR THE PINE NUT BUTTER

  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 20g pine nuts
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika

Our advice is to get the aïoli made first, it will keep fine in the fridge if you want to do it earlier in the day.

Put the garlic, Dijon, egg, egg yolk and a ¼ tsp of salt into the small bowl of a food processor. Whiss together for a few seconds, then gradually add both oils in a slow steady stream with the machine running the whole time. You should end up with a runny mayonnaise. Transfer this to a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and yoghurt. Cover and out in the fridge until needed.

Preheat the oven to 220C fan.

Put the potatoes into a saucepan with 2 tsp of salt and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 6 minutes or until almost tender. Drain in a sieve and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Spread the potatoes over a parchment lined baking tray and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and some salt and black pepper. Roast these in the oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown, then toss with the parsley.

To make the pine nut the butter into a small frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the pine nuts and cook until golden, stir in the paprika and remove from the heat.

Spread the aïoli over a serving dish, top with the potatoes and drizzle over the butter.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Text Kitchen: Shelf Love, Penguin Random House, 2021.)

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Crispy Potato Wedges

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Potato, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 28 March 2022| Leave a Comment »

These are really good and the trick is to set them in the baking tray in rows with the skin-side down. You can use Cajun seasoning if you have it and if not make up the seasoning below – you’ll have more than you need for more wedges another time.

Crispy potato wedges – serves 4

FOR THE SEASONING:

  • 1½ tbsp salt
  • ½ tbsp dried oregano
  • ½ tbsp paprika
  • ½ tbsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 675g large potatoes (buy a variety that makes good chips)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 heaped tsp of the seasoning above

Preheat the oven to 200C fan.

Scrub the potatoes and cut in half, then cut each half into 6 wedges. Put the wedges into a pan of boiling salty water and cook for 2-3 minutes, then drain.

Put the olive oil into a large roasting tin with the seasoning. Add the wedges and toss to coat, then arrange in rows sitting upright on their skins. Bake for 35-40 minute, until soft and golden.

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Salt and Vinegar Potatoes

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Potato, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 2 November 2021| Leave a Comment »

We’ve seen these many times on social media and yesterday someone else’s pic inspired us to make them. Likewise we hope we inspire a few others to try Nigella’s salt and vinegar potatoes, they’re as good as they sound!

Salt and vinegar potatoes – serves 2

  • 500g baby new potatoes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 ½ tsp raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar, or to taste
  • sea salt flakes, to taste

Steam the potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. Then allow to dry in the steamer basket over the empty pan, uncovered.

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan.

Pour the oil into a small shallow roasting tin and heat for 5 minutes in the oven.

Tip the potatoes out onto a board and crush with a fork. They should be roughly broken in two but with plenty of crumbly bits.

Toss the potatoes gently in the hot oil, then cook for 20 minutes, give them a turn and return to the oven for 10 minutes more, or until browned and crunchy.

Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the salt and vinegar.

(Original recipe from At My Table by Nigella Lawson, Chatto & Windus, 2017.)

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Haddock Bake

Posted in Fish, Gluten-free, Potato, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 1 November 2021| Leave a Comment »

This is like a fish pie … but is so much easier to make and perfect for a Friday night after a long week. It’s also usefully gluten-free, unlike many other fish pies. Serve with a big bowl of peas.

Wine Suggestion: A new find from Cabardes in France, Domaine Ventenac’s “les Dissidents” Cassandre. A joyfully fresh Vermentino, a grape we think is the next big thing from southern France.

Haddock Bake – serves 6

  • 350g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
  • 500g baby spinach
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 250g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
  • 3 eggs, hard-boiled and cut into quarters (put them into boiling water and time for 8 minutes)
  • 500g skinless smoked haddock, cut into large chunks
  • 300ml double cream
  • 2 tsp grainy mustard
  • 75g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.

Put the potatoes into cold salted water, cover and bring to the boil, then cook for about 10 minutes or until just cooked. Drain well and leave to steam dry in the pot

Heat a large fring pan, add the spinach, and cook until just wilted, then drain in a colander. You will need to do this in batches. Squeeze the spinach against the colander to get rid of as much water as possible. When cool enough to handle you can squeeze it again with your hands.

Heat the oil in the same frying pan, add the mushrooms, and fry for a few minutes until just cooked.

Grease a 2 litre shallow oven-proof dish with a little butter.

Scatter the potatoes, spinach and mushrooms over the base of the dish, then spread the haddock and eggs over the top and season.

Mix the cream and mustard together with some seasoning, then pour over the dish and sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until bubbling and browned on top.

Serve with lots of peas.

(Original recipe from Mary Berry Cooks up a Feast with Lucy Young, DK, 2019.)

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Alsatian Beef, Lamb and Pork Stew

Posted in Beef, Food, Gluten-free, Lamb, Pork, Potato, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 25 October 2021| Leave a Comment »

We were initially attracted to this as it is marinated in Riesling, a favoured grape in our house, plus the unusual combination of three meats plus bacon. Classically country French in style, this has no airs or graces in appearance, but is jam packed full of flavour and richness. It serves loads of people and we’d suggest having a side of greens. Also, like many other long cooked stews this tastes great the following day and freezes well.

Wine Suggestion: Courtesy of a very generous friend who came to dinner, we were treated to a delightful comparison of two old bottles of Rene Rostaing’s Côte Rôtie: the La Landonne and Côte Blonde. Both an excellent match to the dish and lovely wines. The Côte Blond was the favoured bottle, but both showed very well. We’d recommend searching for a good Syrah if something of this calibre doesn’t come to hand. Thanks David for these bottles!

Alsatian beef, lamb and pork stew – serves 8-10

  • 750g boneless pork belly, cut into 4cm cubes
  • 750g boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 4cm cubes
  • 750g chuck steak, cut into 4cm cubes
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 250g carrots, sliced
  • 2 leeks, cut in half lengthways, washed and sliced
  • 500ml Sylvaner or Riesling white wine
  • 2 kg potatoes, sliced into 5mm thick rounds
  • 100g unsmoked bacon, cut into 1cm pieces
  • 250ml beef stock
  • a handful of flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped, to garnish

Place all of the meat (but not the bacon), onions, carrots and leeks in a large non-metallic bowl and pour over the wine. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

Heat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C.

Arrange a quarter of the sliced potatoes over the base of a very large casserole dish.

Drain the meat and veg in a colander over a bowl and reserve the liquid.

Scatter some veg over the potatoes, then add som bacon pieces and chunks of meat. Season with salt and black pepper, then add another layer of potato, more veg, bacon, meat and seasoning. Keep layering like this and finsih with a final layer of potatoes. Don’t be tempted to hold back on the salt as the dish needs liberal seasoning (about 2tsp in total).

Pour over the reserved marinade juices and beef stock, then cover the casserole with a tight lid and put in the oven.

Bake for about 3 hours or until the meat is tender. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Secret France, BBC Books, 2019.)

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BBQ Bream with a Smoked Potato Salad

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, Potato, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 3 September 2021| Leave a Comment »

Don’t pack the barbecue away yet, you really should make this first. The smoky potato salad is good even if the fish is not your thing.

Wine Suggestion: a new find from Portugal: the Companhia de Vinhos Invencival “Natural Mystic”. An Alvarinho, Arinto, Loureiro blend from the far north, this is light and fresh and yet rounded and full flavoured standing up to the barbecued fish flavours and adding it’s own extra bit of pizzazz for a great combo.

BBQ Bream with Smoked Potato Salad – serves 2 (with salad leftover)

  • 2 whole bream, gutted and fins and other sharp bits removed
  • 1 lemon, halved

SPICE RUB FOR THE FISH:

  • 3 sprigs of rosemary, leaves chopped
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp flaky sea salt
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly ground
  • 1 ½ tsp garlic powder

FOR THE SMOKED POTATO SALAD:

  • 800g cooked new potatoes
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 3 tbsp crème fraîche
  • 6 celery sticks, finely chopped
  • 50g cornichons, sliced
  • 2 tbsp dill, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

You will need to get a charcoal barbecue nice and hot to cook on.

Prep the fish first by placing on a board and slashing through the skin a few times on both sides.

Put all of the spice rub ingredients into a shallow dish, big enough to hold the fish, and mix together. Put the fish on top and rub the spice rub all over the fish and and into the cuts you made.

Lay the fish onto a hot barbecue and leave for 5-6 minutes to allow the skin to crisp up. Turn carefully and repeat on the other side.

Carefully remove the fish from the barbecue and leave to rest for a few minutes. Squeeze over the lemon halves.

Put the potatoes directly onto the cooling embers. Meanwhile, mix the rest of the potato salad ingredients together in a a large bowl and season. Add the smoked potatoes and toss to coat.

Serve the fish with the warm potato salad.

(Original recipe from Outdoor Cooking by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2021.)

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Potato Salad

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Potato, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , on 24 May 2021| Leave a Comment »

Barbecue season is coming (hopefully!) and potato salad is the perfect accompaniment. The dressing will make far more than you need but you can keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks and dress all your salads with it, so worth making.

Potato Salad – serves 4

  • 900g small new potatoes
  • 2 tbsp French dressing (see below)
  • 6 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • a large bunch of mint, chopped

FOR THE FRENCH DRESSING:

  • 100ml red or white wine vinegar
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 200ml sunflower oil
  • ½ a clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tbsp honey

To make the French dressing, put all the ingredients into a food processor, season with salt and pepper, and whizz to combine (or you can do like us and shove it all in a jar and give it a good shake!).

Put the potatoes into a pan of salty water and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until completely tender, then drain and put into a bowl. Mix in 2 tbsp of French dressing and leave to cool.

Mix the mayonnaise, yoghurt and mint together and toss with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

(Original recipe from Avoca Salads, edited by Hugo Arnold, Avoca Ltd, 2007.)

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Braised Halibut in Seasoned Soy

Posted in Fish, Food, Potato, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 23 November 2020| 2 Comments »

We don’t think we’ve ever cooked halibut at home before; it’s such a luxurious and meaty fish. It’s pricey but worth it we think for this Korean dish. You can of course substitute with cod or another white fish.

Braised halibut in seasoned soy – sengson jjim – serves 2

  • 50ml soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp soju (or sake or 1½ tbsp vodka mixed with 1½ tbsp water)
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp gochugaru red pepper powder
  • 250g baby new potatoes, halved
  • 400g halibut, cut into large bite-sized chunks
  • 100g shitake mushrooms
  • 1 red chilli, sliced
  • cooked sticky rice, to serve

Mix the soy sauce, soju, mirin, honey, garlic and gochugaru red pepper powder, together in a bowl with 220ml of water.

Put the potatoes into a medium saucepan, then pour over the sauce. Cover and bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn down and simmer for 10 minutes or until almost cooked through. Stir in the mushrooms, then gently add the fish, taking care not to break it up. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the potatoes and mushrooms are just cooked.

Spoon into a large serving bowl and sprinkle over chilli. Serve with some sticky rice.

(Original recipe from My Korean Kitchen by Jordan Bourke & Rejina Pyo, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2015.)

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Potato, Onion and Horseradish Gratin

Posted in Food, Potato, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 25 September 2020| 1 Comment »

We served this tasty potato dish with feather blade steaks braised in port and it would be good with other roast or braised beef dishes.

Potato, Onion & Horseradish Gratin – serves 4

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 100g butter
  • 3 onions, thinly sliced
  • a bunch of fresh thyme, remove the leaves from half
  • about 900g of large floury potatoes, sliced very thinly (a mandolin or food processor is best for this)
  • 4 tbsp horseradish sauce
  • 300ml beef stock

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

Heat the oil and 25g of the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onions and season well with salt and pepper. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly.

Meanwhile, put the stock into a saucepan with a small bunch of thyme and bring to the boil. Cook for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain into a clean pan and keep warm.

Put the sliced potatoes into a large bowl with the thyme leaves. Melt the remaining 75g of butter and pour this over the potatoes and season well. Toss with your hands to coat the potatoes in the butter.

When the onions are cooked, stir in the horseradish sauce. Spread a third of the potatoes over the base of an ovenproof dish (20cm square is about right). Spread over half the onions and a third of the beef stock. Cover with another third of the potatoes, followed by the rest of the onions and a final layer of potatoes on top. Pour over the remaining stock, then cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes or until golden.

(Original recipe from Marcus Everyday by Marcus Wareing, HarperCollins Publishing, 2019.)

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Spicy Roasted New Potatoes with Lemon & Herbs

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Potato, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 3 June 2020| 2 Comments »

This dish bursts with flavour. We’ve been entertaining in our garden (in small groups and at a distance) and it’s been so nice to cook dishes to feed more than 2! Another triumph from Falastin and great with some grilled meat; this will be done many a time again we suspect. You can prep up to the point before you put the potatoes in the oven. Cook and dress when you’re ready to eat.

Update: done again in winter with a chicken curry dish and a salmon in tahini dish. Just as good and as good a match as with the barbecued meat from earlir in the year.

Spicy roasted new potatoes with lemon & herbs  – serves 4

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 7 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 large red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 200g cherry tomatoes
  • 750g baby new potatoes, quartered
  • ½ tsp caster sugar
  • 1 large lemon, finely grate the zest to get 2 tsp and juice to get 2 tbsp
  • 10g coriander, roughly chopped
  • 5g dill, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 200C fan.

Lightly crush the cumin and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar.

Put the olive oil in a large sauté pan over a high heat. Add the cumin and coriander seed and cook for a minute, stirring. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or until it starts to colour.

Add the chilli and tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes start to soften. Add the potatoes, sugar, 1 tsp of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Stir and transfer to a large baking tray lined with baking parchment.

Roast for 40 minutes, tossing once, until the potatoes are crispy and cooked through.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes before adding the lemon zest & juice, coriander & dill. Toss gently & serve.

(Original recipe from Falastin by Sami Tamimi & Tara Wigley, Ebury Press, 2020.)

Spicy Roasted New Potatoes with Lemon & Herbs

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Spicy potatoes

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Potato, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 16 June 2019| 1 Comment »

Spicy potatoes

We loved these Indian spiced potatoes and they were great for bulking out some leftover saag paneer that definitely would not have satisfied our hungry bellies.

Spicy Potatoes – serves 4

  • 800g potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 140g frozen peas

Cover the potatoes in cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins or until just tender, then drain and allow to steam dry for a few mins.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the spices for a minute until fragrant. Throw in the potatoes and toss well so they are coated in the spices. Gently fry for 5-10 mins until golden, then add peas, mix well and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Season well before serving.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Bandari Fishcakes With a Tamarind & Date Sauce

Posted in Fish, Food, Potato, tagged , , , , , , , , on 16 February 2019| Leave a Comment »

Bandari fishcakes

These Persian fishcakes are full of herbs and make a delicious starter or light lunch. They can be made up in advance and cooked when you need them.

Wine Suggestion: the only option here is a youthful, light, off-dry Riesling where the aromatics, herbs, date and tamarind all play with each other. Tonight we drank the Dr Loosen Estate Riesling, his entry level wine made with his own fruit in the Mosel and it was an excellent match. Along with the Mosel we’d recommend the fruity styles (Kabinett & Spätlese) from other German regions such as the Nahe and Rheingau. Further afield the Aussie Rieslings tend to be too dry for a dish like this but there are some excellent NZ examples, Forrest Estate and Felton Rd spring to mind.

Bandari fishcakes with a tamarind and date sauce (Kuku-ye mahi) – serves 4

  • 300g potatoes, peeled and roughly diced
  • 200g white fish fillets e.g. cod/haddock
  • ¼ tsp cumin seeds
  • 50g coriander, finely chopped
  • 25g parsley, finely chopped – plus extra to garnish
  • 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaf (menthi)
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • a pinch of cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • zest of ½ lemon
  • 1 medium egg
  • plain flour, for dusting
  • 3 tbsp sunflower or olive oil

FOR THE TAMARIND & DATE SAUCE:

  • 50g tamarind pulp soaked in 100ml just boiled water for 10 minutes
  • 75g Iranian or Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • a pinch of cayenne pepper
  • a pinch of cinnamon
  • 150ml hot water

Put the potatoes into a large pan and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to the boil, then simmer until tender. Drain, mash the potatoes, and put into a large mixing bowl.

Add the fish to the potatoes. Dry fry the cumin seeds in a small frying pan for a minute or until fragrant. Grind the seeds with a pestle and mortar, then add to the bowl along with the fresh herbs, fenugreek leaf, garlic, cayenne, turmeric, lemon zest, egg, 1¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper.

Mix well with your hands, then shape into eight round patties. Dust with a little flour and place on a plate, cover with cling film and chill.

To make the sauce, put the tamarind and its soaking liquid, the dates, brown sugar, cayenne, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Add the hot water and cook for 10 minutes over a low heat until the dates are very soft.

Take the sauce off the heat and sieve into a bowl, use the back of a spoon to rub as much through as possible.

To finish the fishcakes, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the cakes on a medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, turning every few minutes, until golden brown and crusted. Garnish with parsley and serve with the sauce.

(Original recipe from The Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan, Bloomsbury, 2016.)

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Cheesy Broccoli Baked Potatoes

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Potato, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 22 October 2018| Leave a Comment »

Cheesy broccoli baked potatoes

These are great for a mid-week dinner with a salad or you could serve alongside a meat dish. Absolute comfort food.

Cheesy Broccoli Baked Potatoes – serves 4

  • 4 baking potatoes
  • 300g broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 1 tbsp grain mustard
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 140g grated Cheddar
  • a generous lump of butter

Heat the oven to 220ºC.

Rub a little bit of oil over the potato skins and place in the oven on a baking tray for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 200ºC and continue to bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender.

Meanwhile, steam the broccoli for a few minutes and drain well.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthways and scoop the insides into a bowl or pot. Mash the cooked potatoes with a fork, then stir in a generous lump of butter, the mustard, egg, most of the cheese and broccoli. Season, then pile back into the shells. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are crisp and golden. Serve with salad.

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Crispy New Potatoes with Olives, Capers & Herbs

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Potato, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , on 26 July 2018| Leave a Comment »

Crispy new potato bake

This is a bit different and perfect when you’ve got over the initial excitement of new potatoes and feel like doing something other than steaming them and covering them with butter. Jersey Royals are nice if you can find them. We served these with some salmon and herby mayonnaise.

Crispy new potatoes with olives, capers & herbs – serves 4

  • 1kg Jersey Royal potatoes or other small new potatoes
  • handful small capers
  • 2 handfuls stoned black olives
  • 1 tbsp thyme leaves
  • small bunch rosemary, broken into sprigs
  • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Heat oven to 240C/Fan 220C/Gas 9.

Boil the potatoes until almost cooked – about 12 minutes. Drain, then slice and put into a large bowl. Tip in the capers, olives and herbs, then add most of the olive oil and season. Gently mix together, lightly crushing the potatoes as you go.

Line a medium Swiss roll tin with baking parchment, leaving some overhanging. Tip the potatoes into the tray and spread to flatten. Mix the vinegar with the rest of the oil and drizzle over. Bake for 40 minutes or until crisp and golden.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Spiced Yoghurt Roast Chicken with Potatoes

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, Potato, Roast, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 6 January 2017| 1 Comment »

Spiced yoghurt roast chicken

Our local butcher, Brady’s, stocks excellent free-range chickens which are juicier and have more flavour than most super-market offerings. Being a very cheap meat overall we think it is worth spending a bit more as the benefits far outweigh the cost difference.

We never tire of roast chicken recipes as they’re usually straight forward and provide lots of leftovers. We challenge you to resist the skin on this one!

Wine Suggestion: we felt like a red so went for the Chateau de Beauregard Fleurie as it has a lighter body and a lower acidity than a Pinot Noir which matched this dish really well. The chicken was moist, but not fatty so the medium acidity was a perfect foil and neither wine nor food overwhelmed the other.

Spiced-yoghurt Roast Chicken with Potatoes – serves 4

  • 1 whole chicken, approximately 1.5kg
  • salad potatoes e.g. Charlotte
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • a pinch of chilli flakes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the marinade:

  • small chunk of ginger, finely grated
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced, keep the squeezed out halves to put inside the chicken
  • 100g natural yoghurt

Heat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5.

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together and season with some salt and pepper.

Put the chicken into a large roasting tray and rub the marinade all over the skin with your hands. Put the squeezed lemon halves inside the cavity and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes, then rest for 20 minutes under some foil before carving.

Cut the potatoes in half and toss with the cumin seeds, chilli flakes, 2 tbsp olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Tip into a shallow roasting tray and put in the oven above the chicken for the last 20 minutes. Turn over once during cooking and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes while the chicken is resting.

Delicious served with some coleslaw on the side.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, December 2016.)

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Chive Mash

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Potato, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 18 October 2016| 5 Comments »

Chive Mash

Everyone loves mash in our house especially with lots of cream and butter added. Chives from the garden are also a popular addition.

Chive Mash – serves 6 generously

  • 1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 8 tbsp double cream
  • 50g butter
  • 6 tbsp snipped chives

Cover the potatoes with cold water and a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender, then drain in a colander and return to the warm pan to dry.

Gently heat the cream in a small saucepan, then add the butter and pour over the potatoes. Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Add the chives and beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy.

 

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Crispy Potato Skins

Posted in Cheese, Food, Potato, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 16 November 2015| 3 Comments »

Crispy potato skins

These super tasty bacon & blue cheese stuffed potato skins work well as a starter or a side dish. Probably best not to count the calories!

Cheesy Baked Potato Skins – serves 4

  • 4 baking potatoes
  • olive oil
  • 8 rashers of thick-cut pancetta
  • 2 cos lettuces, leaves separated and roughly chopped
  • 4 celery sticks, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp chopped celery leaves
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives
  • smoked paprika for dusting (optional)

FOR THE CHEESY DRESSING:

  • 250g crème fraîche
  • 200g Roquefort cheese, crumbled
  • 100g mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • few splashes of Tabasco sauce

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas Mark 4.

Put the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for around 1 hour 15 minutes or until soft in the middle and nice and crispy on the outside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh but be careful not to break the skins. Keep the scooped out potato to make something else with.

Put the potato skins back onto the baking tray, drizzle with oil and put back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until really crisp and brown.

Meanwhile, gently fold the crème fraîche, Roquefort and mayonnaise together for the dressing. Stir in the mustard and Tabasco and season.

Cook the pancetta slices under a hot grill until crispy.

Mix the lettuce and celery together in a large bowl then add the cheesy dressing. Put the bacon rashers into the baked potato skins and spoon the cheesy stuffing over the top. Garnish each one with some of the chopped celery leaves and chives and dust with paprika.

(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge’s Best Ever Dishes, Absolute Press, 2014.)

 

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Fabulous Home-made Gnocchi

Posted in Food, Italian, Potato, tagged , , , , , , , on 16 June 2014| 2 Comments »

Gnocchi with peas

Gnocchi – where have you been all our lives? So much easier than we anticipated!

Wine suggestion: We tried a delicious Langhe Nebbiolo by Luigi Pira from Piedmont in Italy which had a great balance between light weight, depth of flavour, dancing acidity and a characterful earthiness. Gnocchi is refined and elegant but also earthy and rustic and the food-wine combo matched really well.

Gnocchi – serves 4

  • 2 large floury potatoes
  • 50g ricotta cheese
  • 90g plain flour
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 thyme sprig, leaves only
  • sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
  • Grated Parmesan – to serve

For the Sauce: 

  • olive oil
  • black pepper
  • 150g frozen peas, defrosted
  • butter
  • 1 thyme sprig, leaves only
  • zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.

Bake the potatoes for 1-1¼ hours until tender. While the potatoes are still warm, remove the flesh from the skin and mash until smooth (use a potato ricer if you have one).

Mix in the ricotta, a pinch of salt and white pepper and the flour. Make a well in the middle, add the beaten egg and start to combine the mixture with floured hands. Work in the thyme leaves and continue until you have a smooth dough but don’t overwork or it will become too dense .

Cut the dough in half and shape each piece into a long cigar shape about 1.5 cm thick. Use the back of a floured table knife to cut each length into 2cm pieces to make ‘pillows’ of gnocchi.

Gently press each gnocchi in the middle with a floured finger.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the gnocchi, tilting the pan from side to side briefly to stop them sticking together, them simmer for just 1½-2 minutes or until they start to float.

Drain the gnocchi and leave to steam dry for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add a bit of olive oil. Add the gnocchi to the hot pan with a pinch of salt and black pepper and sauté for a minute or two on each side until coloured.

Add the peas to the pan with a knob of butter and the thyme leaves. Toss to heat through, then add the lemon zest. Serve with the grated Parmesan.

(Original recipe from Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course, Hodder & Stoughton, 2012.)

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