Chips 'n' gravy
An upgraded version of chips and gravy with apiccalilli element thrown in.
Serves 4
4 large baking potatoes, preferably maris pipers
Sunflower oil, for deep frying
For the gravy
20g butter
100g button onions, peeled
2 small carrots, sliced
¼ cauliflower, broken into small florets
2 tsp sugar
700ml vegetable stock
50ml red wine
1 tsp cornflour
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp Marmite
½ tsp English mustard
1 Peel the potatoes then cut into chips. Soak incold water for a few hours, or overnight if you can, as this will improve the crispness.
2 Add sunflower oil to a deep fat fryer, or fill a large saucepan a third full. Drain the chips andpat dry on a towel, to prevent the hot oil splashing. Carefully add the chips to the oil and fry for around 10 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Keep them warm while you make the gravy.
3 Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the vegetables and sugar, and cook until brown.
4 Next, add the stock and red wine, then cook until the vegetables are just tender. Mix the cornflour with a little water and add to the gravy to thicken. Finish with the Marmite andmustard, then season.
5 Sprinkle salt on chips and serve with gravy.
Recipe supplied by Andrew Dargue, LittleOrchard, orchard-kitchen.co.uk
Tartiflette
An amazingly tasty and satisfying dish that is made only with potatoes, reblochon cheese, creme fraiche and lardons.
Serves 3-4
5-6 fluffy potatoes, peeled
200g pancetta
3-4 tbsp creme fraiche
200-250g reblochon cheese, halved
A pinch of salt
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Meanwhile, in a big saucepan, bring the water to the boil, add the salt and the potatoes. Boil for about 8 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool. When they're cold enough to handle, roughly slice the potatoes and putaside.
2 Fry the pancetta over a medium heat for about 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the heat.
3 Arrange the potatoes to cover the surface of a 20cm x 14cm or similar-sized baking dish. Add the pancetta. Layer with more potatoes then add the creme fraiche. Make sure it is well distributed. Finally, top with reblochon cheese. Put in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt. Once cooked, set to grill for 5 minutes toget a more crunchycheese layer, ifdesired.
Recipe supplied by Leemei Tan, mycookinghut.com
Batata vada pav (Indian potato burger)
The Indian burger, or batata vada pav, is the ultimate street food. Around 200,000 of these are sold every day in Mumbai.
Serves 2
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp mustard seeds
2-4 curry leaves, torn
1 tsp grated ginger
½ onion, chopped
1 tsp chopped green chilli
120g potatoes, cooked then roughly mashed
Salt
½ tsp turmeric
Red chilli to taste
1 tsp chaat masala
Vegetable oil, for frying
For the batter
30g chickpea (gram) flour
1 pinch turmeric
1 pinch red chilli
Salt to taste
To serve
2 burger buns
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp coriander and mint green chutney
1 tbsp tamarind chutney
1 Heat half the butter in a pan, add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Addthe curry leaves.
2 Add the ginger, onion and green chillies, and fry until fragrant. Add the mashed potato and the rest of the burger ingredients and mix well. Shape the mix into two dumplings and set them aside.
3 For the batter, add all the ingredients and enough water to reach a pouring consistency.
4 Dip the dumplings in the batter and deep fry until golden brown. Cut the burger buns from the middle, heat the rest of the butter in a pan and grill the buns. Put the dumplings in the buns and serve hot with the chutneys.
Recipe supplied by Sanjay Kaul, Chor Bizarre Restaurant
Za'atar spiced sweet potato soup with chilli yoghurt
This comforting winter soup has an exotic twist with the addition of za'atar – a Middle Eastern herb mix – and a punchy, chilli-spiked yoghurt dolloped into the soup just before serving. Lightly caramelising the sweet potato first adds a lovely depth of flavour that you won't get from just boiling them.
Serves 4
Olive oil, for cooking
1 large sweet potato or two smaller sweet ones, peeled and evenly diced
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp za'atar mix (available from supermarkets)
750ml-1.25 litres chicken or vegetable stock (homemade is best)
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
4 tbsp thick, natural Greek yoghurt
Salt and black pepper
1 Set a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Add the sweet potato and cook for a few minutes to lightly caramelise, stirring as you go. Season the potato and then add the shallot, garlic and za'atar. Cook for a few more minutes on a low heat while continuing to stir.
2 Pour the stock on top, bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cook the potatoes until they are nice and tender.
3 Spoon the potato and stock into a blender and blitz until smooth. It should be nice and thick, but pourable; if not, add more stock. Season the soup to taste and keep hot. Mix thechilli with the yoghurt and season to taste,then serve.
Recipe supplied by Ben Tish, saltyardgroup.co.uk
Gluten-free passion fruit and lime drizzle cake
Who'd have thought that mashed potato could make a really good gluten-free cake? Dense and light all at once, while also being deliciously moist andvery moreish.
Serves 6-8
150g butter, very soft
150g soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 passion fruit, pulp scooped
Zest of 2 limes
300g cold mashed potato
200g ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
For the topping
175g icing sugar, sifted
Juice of 1-2 limes
1 passion fruit, pulp scooped
1 Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease and line the base of a 20cm-diameter springform cake tin.
2 Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually beat the egg into the mix. Stir through the passion fruit pulp, lime zest and mashed potato until you have a smooth batter, free from any lumps of mashedpotato. Fold through the ground almonds and baking powder.
3 Transfer the batter to the prepared tin, bake for 1¼hours, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. If the cake is turning too dark, cover loosely with a piece ofkitchen foil. Allow to cool in the tin for 5minutes, run a knife around the edge of the cake to release the sides, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4 For the topping, put the sugar, lime and passion fruit in a bowl set over apan of barely simmering water, stir until thesugar dissolves and the icing is glossy. Work quickly so that the icing doesn't set inthe bowl, then spoon it over the cake, allowing it to trickle down the sides. The icing will set as it hits the cake.
Recipe supplied by Rosie Reynolds
Potato and cheese pierogi
These central and eastern European dumplings are traditionally stuffed with arange of fillings, from potatoes and cheese tosauerkraut, or even prunes (the prune version being a sweet, dessert‑style peirogi).
Serves 2-4
For the filling
1 medium russet potato
50g cheddar, grated
50g cottage cheese
1 onion, sliced then caramelised in 2 tbsp butter
Salt and black pepper
4 tbsp butter, for frying
For the dough
260g flour
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4-5 tbsp water, or as needed to bring the doughtogether
1 Peel, then boil, the potato until tender, then mash with the cheese, onion, salt and pepper. Cover and chill until cool.
2 Meanwhile, prepare the dough by pulsing everything apart from the water together in afood processor, or by mixing by hand in a bowl. Stream in just enough water to get it topull together into a soft, workable dough. Wrap it in clingfilm and let it rest for about 30minutes. This will let the gluten relax andmake the dough easier to work with.
3 Roll out the dough to 5mm thick, then cut circles and top with a dollop of potato filling. Pull the dough around the filling and pinch it together at the top, then work around the edges. You might find it easier to work with less filling at first, but try to gradually work upto nice, plump pierogi. The dough shouldbe elastic enough to do so.
4 You can either freeze them or boil right away. Simply cook until they float and the dough is cooked through – this may only take 3-5 minutes, but it will depend on how thick you roll out your dough. Drain andbrown in butter. You can enjoy them with caramelised onions or even a dollop ofsour cream.
Recipe supplied by Sasha Martin, globaltableadventure.com
Merguez sausage and sweet potato hash
This unusual take on hash is quick to rustle up. You can also try it using whatever sausages or potatoes you happen to have.
Serves 4
Olive oil
450g merguez sausages, casings removed
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inchcubes
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and black pepper
1 Put 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a heavy pan and set over a medium-high heat. When the oil starts to simmer, add the sausage meat andbreakit up with a wooden spoon. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the merguez is evenly browned, which should take about5minutes.
2 Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set it aside in a bowl. Add enough oil to the pan so that you have about 3 tbsp fat. Add the onion and sweet potatoes to the pan, along with a pinch of salt. Fry the onions and potatoes, turning gently every once in a while but not too often (you don't want to break up the potatoes once they start to soften).
3 Once the onion and potato are softened and richly caramelised, which takes around 6-8 minutes, add the rosemary and a few grinds of pepper, stir through gently and cook for another minute or two. Fold in the merguez, and cook for another minute or so to heat through. Serve immediately, topped with an egg or a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche.
Recipe supplied by Merrill Stubbs, food52.com
Harissa potato salad
A touch of harissa will liven up all sorts of soups and stews, or even a creamy potato salad such as this. Use the best quality shop-bought paste you can find, or make your own.
Serves 4
6 medium waxy potatoes
1 tbsp capers, chopped
4 whole spring onions, finely chopped
For the mayonnaise
75ml extra virgin olive oil
75ml vegetable oil
2 egg yolks
1 garlic clove crushed with ½ tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp harissa paste
Salt and pepper
1 Steam the potatoes while still whole and unpeeled, until tender, and while they are cooking, make themayonnaise.
2 Combine the olive and vegetable oils. Whiskthe egg yolks well with the crushed garlic. Very gradually whisk in the oil, drop bydrop, making sure each amount is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next drop. Once the mixture has thickened toa stiff paste, thin it with half the lemon juice. Continue to add the oil slowly, until allhas been incorporated. Taste and adjust theseasonings and add the remaining lemonjuice. Then stir in the harissa paste.
3 Peel the potatoes while they are still warm and cut them into 2cm dice. Mix them with the capers, spring onions and mayonnaise, thinned with a little cream if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
Arabesque by Greg and Lucy Malouf (Hardie Grant)
Cardamom-mashed sweet potato with pepper relish
This mash would also be lovely served with an onion gravy. Make the relish well in advance.
Serves 4-6
250g sweet potatoes
250g sweetcorn kernels
175g shelled fresh peas
250g spinach
45g butter
1 large onion, sliced
1 tsp ground cardamom seeds
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp honey
For the relish
3 garlic cloves
3 fresh red chillies
4 tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 large red pepper, deseeded and chopped
Handful of fresh parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper
1 Make the relish well beforehand. In a food processor, blend together all the ingredients with 2 tbsp water and seasoning to taste. Set aside, preferably in the fridge, and leave as long as you can so the flavours develop.
2 Cook the sweet potatoes in boiling salted water until they have become soft enough tomash. Drain.
3 Cook the corn and peas in boiling salted water until tender. Just before the end of cooking, add the spinach to wilt it briefly.Drain.
4 Melt the butter in a heavy pan, then fry the onion until it is well caramelised. Combine the sweet potatoes and the onion, sprinkle with cardamom, salt and pepper and mash, adding more butter if desired. Add the other vegetables and mix in the honey. Serve hot, with the relish and a green salad.
World Food Café: Vegetarian Bible by Chris andCarolyn Caldicott (Frances Lincoln)
Sweet potato and chocolate squares
This is great for a small dessert after a big mealas it has all the flavours of classic sweet potato pie, but in a bite-sized portion.
Makes 12 squares For the crust
110g digestive biscuits
50g finely ground pecans or other nuts
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
55g brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
70g unsalted butter, melted
½ tsp vanilla extract
For the chocolate filling
80ml double cream
115g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
For the sweet potato filling
250g sweet potato, boiled and pureed
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
60g dark brown sugar
50g granulated sugar
240ml milk
120ml double cream
For the chocolate topping (optional)
240ml double cream
1 tsp icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
A handful of pecan halves, for garnish
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
2 Make the crust: in a bowl, combine the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Press the mixture into a 22cm-square baking dish or pan, pressing the crust 25mm up the sides. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Keep the oven heated.
3 Next the chocolate filling. In a saucepan, combine the cream and chocolate. Cook over alow heat, stirring until the chocolate is melted and completely combined with the cream. Pour the mixture over the crust; tilt and gently shake the dish to spread the mixture evenly. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes before adding the potato filling.
4 In a bowl, combine the sweet potato filling ingredients and mix well.
5 Gently pour the sweet potato mixture over the chocolate layer. Place the baking dish on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the outer 25mm appears set; the centre should still wiggle slightly when shaken. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate until fully chilled.
6 Slice with a clean knife into even squares, wiping the knife clean before each cut.
7 For the topping (optional), whip the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl until soft peaks form. Garnish the squares with the whipped cream and pecans, if you like.
Bountiful by Todd Porter and Diane Cu (Stewart, Tabori and Chang)
