Darina Allen: Recipes like these rustic roast potatoes can bring a meal from zero to hero

Super nutritious, cheap, super versatile and so, so tasty — make potatoes your superfood

Rustic Roasties with Aioli (Garlic Mayo)

A couple of weeks ago the World Potato Congress was held in Dublin hosted by the Irish Potato Federation. It was the first to be held in Ireland, despite our long, complicated and tragic relationship with the potato.

The congress heard an Irish Government report that there has been a 25% drop in the consumption of potatoes in Ireland over the past 10 years. I’m saddened but not surprised.  It is of course, partly due to the growing popularity of other foods, pasta, grains, rice, couscous and the perception that potatoes are fattening.

However, potatoes are, to quote a much-overused word, a 'Super Food', super nutritious, and super versatile. 

Don’t we all know that the humble spud can be cooked in a million different ways: boiled, sautéed, roast, steamed, fried, layered up in gratin, added to stews, tagines, casseroles… They can be dressed up or down, used to spin out other dishes. An intrinsic part of vegetarian and vegan diets and full of goodness.

However, not all potatoes are flavour-packed so when you find varieties such as Home Guard, British Queen, Sharp’s Express or Charlotte, snap them up. They are all ‘earlies’ and so delicious that you just want to boil and eat them with lots of good butter and flaky sea salt. One of the highlights of the year for me is digging the first new potatoes and making a wish that we’ll all be as well this time next year.

I personally prefer to buy freshly-dug potatoes and give them a quick scrub. They will have much more flavour and keep better.

A few little tips.

For maximum flavour, boil them in their jackets, add plenty of salt to the water — this really soups up the taste. Sea water is even better.

Resist the temptation to soak them. Instead, if you want to get ahead for roasties, (peel, save the peel to make the potato skin crisps). Dry them well, toss in extra virgin oil, pop them into a bag in the fridge till needed. They won’t discolour and will keep their flavour, roasties are even better when cooked in duck fat, dripping or lard but I also love smashed potatoes, all crusty on the outside and squishy inside. Great for a barbeque too.

I am also loving this potato crisp frittata, based on a recipe from Home Cooking with Ferran Adriá. I have added some parsley and a little tarragon but the original without herbs is also delicious (annual marjoram would also be a tasty substitute).

We also love crispy potatoes with labneh and fresh herbs or just wedges with Aioli, a delicious and satisfying way to get kids to eat potatoes. 

Do go out of your way to find organic or chemical-free tubers, or they may have been sprayed multiple times, and have had a dose of glyphosate as a desiccant just before harvesting.

Seek out a local grower on NeighbourFood or buy directly from a Farmers Market stall.

Potato Crisp Tortilla

recipe by:Darina Allen

You’re all going to love this simple tortilla. Of course, it’s delicious warm but also brilliant picnic food or for school or office lunch. Serve little bites to nibble with drinks.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs

• 75g (3oz) potato crisps

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• flaky sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, for serving

• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

• 1 teaspoon tarragon, chopped (or annual marjoram)

• 1 x 15cm (6 inch) pan

Method

1. Whisk the egg really well. Add salt and freshly-ground black pepper and the chopped herbs.

2. Heat the pan over a medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and swirl around the pan. Add the potato crisps, toss and allow to soak for a minute or two. Pour in the egg mixture, loosen around the edge and allow to cook gently for 4-6 minutes.

3. Cover with a lid or an upside-down plate. Gently flip the tortilla onto the plate. Add another tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the pan, then slide the tortilla back into the pan, uncooked side downwards. Continue to cook over the medium heat for 2 minutes, then slide the tortilla onto a warm plate and serve with a salad of organic leaves — delicious.

4. Good to know: double the quantity of ingredients and use a 25cm (10 inch) pan to serve 6 or 8 hungry guests.

Coffee and almond cream pots - with a kick

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Adults only will adore this tiramisu inspired dessert

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 250g of mascarpone

• 400mls of cream

• 70mls of Amaretto – use coffee in its place for a less alcoholic version

• 50g of golden caster sugar

• 250mls of strong espresso coffee

• 50mls of Kalula or Tia Maria – use coffee in its place for a less alcoholic version

• 180g of sponge fingers

• cocoa powder for dusting

Method

1. Whisk the mascarpone and cream until stiff peaks. Stir in Amaretto and sugar until combined.

2. Mix the coffee liqueur and coffee and dip the fingers in one at a time until they have soaked up the liquid. You may have to break the fingers to fit them into your containers or jars. Place a layer at the bottom of each of the jars that you are using. Scoop some of the cream mixture on top and spread it out. Layer another soaked finger on top and repeat with the cream mixture.

3. Sprinkle with the cocoa powder and place them into the fridge until you are ready to pop them into a cool box.

Crispy Potatoes with Labneh and Soft Herbs

recipe by:Darina Allen

Another chic way to use up boiled potato.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 900g (2lb) cooked boiled potatoes

• 450g (1lb) soft labneh (dripped natural yoghurt)

• 150ml (5fl oz) softly whipped cream

• Fresh herbs: sprigs of chervil, tarragon, flat parsley and chives

Method

1. Peel and cut the potato into approximately 2.5cm (1 inch) square chunks.

2. Heat oil or beef dripping in a deep-fry to 200°C. Cook the potatoes in batches until really crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

3. Fold the cream into the labneh and loosen with a few tablespoons of whey if too thick. It should be the consistency of softly whipped cream.

4. Serve the crisp potatoes immediately in wide bowls with a few dollops of labneh and a generous handful of soft fresh herb sprigs on top.

5. Note: New potatoes do not need to be peeled

Toby’s Smashed Potatoes

recipe by:Darina Allen

My son Toby also cooks these on the BBQ, the contrast of crisp edges and soft centre is irresistible. Great as a side but also pretty irresistible to munch on as a snack.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• Small to medium-sized potatoes

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Flaky sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

• Optional – freshly chopped rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander…

Method

1. Boil the freshly scrubbed potato in well salted boiling water until almost fully cooked.Drain, allow to dry off for a couple of minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 230˚C/450˚F/Gas Mark 8.

3. Brush a roasting tin or baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil. Distribute the potatoes evenly in a single layer over the base. Use a potato masher or a fork to crush each one to a height of about 1cm (1/2 inch) — we’re not talking neat, the more knobbly, the better.

4. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. They’ll be delicious roasted until golden, 20-25 minutes but of course one can also sprinkle with finely chopped rosemary, thyme leaves, smoked paprika, a few chilli flakes, freshly ground cumin or coriander.

5. Sprinkle with a few flakes of sea salt and serve.

HOT TIPS

Perfect Pasta Plates at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Thursday, September 15

An afternoon demonstration to learn all about pasta. How to make fresh pasta dough from scratch in your own kitchen, how to cook dried pasta to perfection and what pasta shape goes with which sauce. Lots of tips, tricks, master recipes for essential sauces and plenty of variations.

cookingisfun.ie

Woodcock Smokery Smoking Courses and Tasting Platters

Sally Barnes is a legend on the artisan food scene: Woodcock Smokery is offering a selection of half-day and one-day smoking courses plus delicious tasting platters featuring a carefully curated selection of smoked fish, including wild salmon and a glass of something tasty to enjoy in their beautiful location in Gurranes near Skibbereen, West Cork. Minimum booking 4 people. 

woodcocksmokery.com

Caroline Robinson – Coal Quay Farmers Market

Seek out Caroline Robinson’s stall at the Coal Quay Farmers Market in Cork City every Saturday from 9am – 3pm. Beautiful, nourishing, chemical-free vegetables and lots of wise advice.

Climate Change and the New Phytologist

We all need to keep the challenges of climate change constantly to the forefront of our minds — I’ve recently come across the online New Phytologist Journal which publishes outstanding cutting-edge research: Plants, People, Planet, check it out.

newphytologist.org/journals/new-phytologist