Potato and Mushroom Gratin

This nice little recipe is from Nigella's 'Express' cookbook, and is a good accompaniment to roast chicken or, in our case tonight, a proper veal saltimbocca.  Not too creamy, it uses milk rather than cream and not very much butter, so not too naughty - deeply mushroomy, too.  For 4 people, you need to peel and thinly slice 3 medium-ish potatoes - go for Maris Piper or King Edward's.  Heat 360ml of milk in a pan, along with 3 tablespoons of white wine (don't miss this bit out, it really lifts the flavour).  Season well with salt and pepper.  Add the sliced potatoes and simmer gently whilst getting on with the mushrooms: slice 250g of chestnut mushrooms and saute in a frying pan in 25g of butter and a grated or crushed clove of garlic.  I added some fresh thyme at this stage, because I had some, along with a grating of nutmeg because - well, life is better with nutmeg!  Once the mushrooms have sauteed for a few minutes and given off some of their liquid, tip the contents into the pan with the milk and potatoes and stir well.  Pour all of this into a buttered shallow gratin dish, smooth the top, grate over a little parmesan and bake at 180 for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender, most of the milk has been absorbed and the top is lovely and crusty brown.   As there were only 2 of us we have some leftover, but I think they will reheat well tomorrow - if I can stop picking at the dish in the kitchen.......oh dear!

Leek Beetroot and Potato Soup

I'm back in the blogging saddle again after a spot of bother with Google Blogger.  And a great soup to start us off with.  It is absurd to get excited over something as simple as a leek, but when two beautiful specimens turned up in the veg box, it made my heart sing!  After trimming and thoroughly washing one, I partnered it in a soup with onions, beetroot and potato.  Made the usual way, I sweated said leek with a chopped onion in a tablespoon of rape seed oil and around 25g of butter.  I peeled 2 good sized raw beetroot (ignoring the 'Psycho' red splattering on hands, kitchen tiles, chopping board and apron) and 2 similar-sized potatoes, chopped them and added them to the pot.  After being just covered with Marigold veggie stock, the pot simmered for half-an-hour and was then blended with a stick blender until a smooth vision of creamy pinkness emerged.  I stirred in a dollop of creme fraiche and served it with another spoonful on top, some chopped chives (actually, spring onion tops!) and a drizzle of a little more rape seed oil, but these embellishments are optional - just plain and simple, it was a soup of sweet, smooth earthiness.

Perfect Sauteed Potatoes

Well, perfect as far as we're concerned!  The secret of a perfect sauteed potato is time.  And a non-stick frying pan.  If you rush your spud, it will brown too quickly and not be cooked on the inside.  Don't par-boil them, either, as they go mushy.  The other secret is not to stir them too often.  And use waxy new potatoes, as maincrop will just go mushy too.  OK, so that's four secrets, not one, but I like to give you value for money.  Chop as many spuds as you like, but make sure you have a big enough pan for them to be in one layer.  Cubes of about half an inch, or the metric equivalent, will be fine.  Heat 3 tablespoons of oil (I never said these were low fat!) in your pan - I like a blend of rape seed and extra virgin oil.  Keep the heat to medium and let the oil heat properly before adding the spuds, which should gently sizzle as they hit the pan.  As they do, toss them in the oil, shake them out to an even layer, sprinkle in some salt and pepper, and LEAVE THEM ALONE.  Let them cook at a moderate sizzle for a good 5 minutes without disturbing them.  Meanwhile, chop a large red onion and a clove or 2 of garlic.  After 5 minutes, stir and toss the potatoes and throw in the onions and garlic.  Stir again, then leave for another 5 minutes.  Stir every 5 to 10 minutes until all sides are brown and the onions have gone a delicious caramelly gooey texture.  Taste the potatoes after half an hour.  Add more salt and pepper, and if they are cooked through, turn up the heat and fry briskly until everything is crisp.  Keep an eye on them so they don't burn and adjust the heat accordingly.  Chop a handful of flat-leaf parsley and stir through at the very last moment before turning into a bowl and eating promptly with whatever takes your fancy - steak, fried chicken, lamb or pork chops, or grilled mackerel, which we had last night.  DEE-lish!

Caldo Verde

This Portuguese soup is great for a not-particularly-warm summer evening, and provided you watch your timings, you'll have a fresh veggie-packed, vibrant supper, best eaten with lots of crusty bread.  There are as many recipes for Caldo Verde as there are Portuguese.  However, most seem to require the presence of onion, potatoes and fresh leafy greens such as kale or chard (my green of choice today).  You can then add layers of texture and flavour depending on what you have available - I added fresh sweetcorn kernels, some tinned chickpeas, a couple of finely diced tomatoes and half a 'horse-shoe' of good chorizo, sliced.  Simmered in chicken broth, with garlic and a little smoked hot paprika to boost the sausage flavours, it was a fabulous, filling, savoury, brothy soup, packed full of veg.  Just make sure you add the greens and tomato if used) a few minutes before serving to preserve their colour and texture.  As this only uses half a chorizo, this qualifies for 'Under a fiver' easily.  You could make it veggie/vegan too, by using veg stock and omitting the sausage.

Chorizo, Potato and Courgette 'Frittilla'

So, tonight's effort was a cross-cultural blend of Spain and Italy - was I making an egg tortilla or frittata?  It was a combination of both, really, so lo!  The Frittilla is born!  I sauteed some sliced chorizo, thinly sliced potatoes and a red onion in a couple of tablespoons of oil until the potato is soft and the sausage has given up its oil.  At this point, throw in a couple of diced courgettes and cook for a few minutes more to soften.  Meanwhile, beat 6 eggs with a couple of tablespoons of milk, some salt and pepper and a handful of chopped chives if you have any - don't worry if you don't.  Stir in a ball of chopped Mozzarella.  If your pan fits in the oven, simply pour the egg and cheese over the contents of the pan, shake to settle and distribute well, and cook in the oven at 170C for 25 minutes  until brown and just set.  Alternatively, line a roasting tin with baking parchment and tip the contents of the pan in follwed by the egg and cheese.  Again, shake to distribute and then bake in the oven as above until just set.  This quantity serves 4 people generously and, using maybe a third of a 'horseshoe' of chorizo and a ball of bog standard 'essentials' mozzarella from Waitrose, this comes in at around the fiver mark - a filling, hearty meal, served with salad and leftover guacamole from last night (I had planned on courgette fritters but really couldn't be arsed).  And we have a delicious filling for some wraps for lunch tomorrow.

Herbed Potato Stacks

Now pay attention.  You will thank me for this recipe for years to come.  In a bowl, crush a clove or two of garlic.  Chop some fresh herbs very finely - a sprig or two of rosemary and thyme, for example.  Or even (whisper it) use dried herbs!  Mix the herbs with the garlic, some salt and pepper and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  Take four medium potatoes with the skin still on, well washed.  Desiree or King Edward's will do.  Slice them into thin slices, across their middle.  Add to the bowl and toss well, with your hands, so each slice gets coated in herbs and garlic and oil and seasoning.  Now, cover a baking sheet with parchment and start to reconstruct the potatoes by laying slices one on top of the other - you will probably get 8 stacks out of four potatoes.  Bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes (200C).  If the stacks tip over during cooking, use the tip of a knife to nudge them back into place.  You will end up with crisp stacks of potato, seasoned all the way through and meltingly tender inside, yet brown and crispy and rustling on the outside.  Yummy with anything and on their own too!  Because the oil covers each slice, you can make these an hour or so in advance and the spuds won't discolour, then time them to be ready, all hot and fragrant and crisp from the oven.  You're welcome!

Roast Duck Legs and Potatoes

A really simple recipe, this, from Nigella Lawson (her book, 'Kitchen', if you want to look at the original).  You cube some peeled potatoes and place in a roasting dish.  I would recommend something non-stick if you don't want to spend the next week removing welded-on starch from the bottom (guess what my husband is doing right now?!).  Season well with salt, pepper and some fresh thyme sprigs.  Sear the duck legs (1 per person) in a frying pan, skin-side down, until there is some colour and the fat is starting to render.  Whilst this is happening, sprinkle the meat-side with salt, pepper and more thyme.  Place, skin-side up, on the potatoes and pour any rendered fat over the spuds.  Alternatively, just to what I did, season the legs and place, un-seared, on the spuds.  They still turned out fine! Now roast for 2 hours at 200C (180C fan oven).  Turn the spuds a couple of times during this time, exposing as much of them to the heat as possible.  When all is crisp and brown, serve up straight away.  We ate this with juicy red cabbage and Bramley apples, and some bright green purple sprouting broccoli, which offset the richness of the meat perfectly.  A bottle of Merlot helped it down too!  We have a couple of roast legs left over, which will go into a stir-fry tomorrow.

Beetroot and Carrot Latkes

It is the Jewish festival of lights, Hannuka (or Hanukka, it seems both spellings are used)soon, and Latkes, or potato cakes, are a staple for most people observing the festival.  I am not Jewish, but I approve of nicking other cultures' food if it is good!  The principle of a latke is to combine grated starchy potato and grated onion with plenty of seasoning, and then fry spoonfuls of the mix, flattened, in oil until brown and crisp.  Delicious.  I saw a version made with grated carrot and beetroot, and made some last night, along with the pototo variety.  Really nice - just make sure they are well seasoned, they need quite a bit of salt and pepper.  I also added some beaten egg to bind them (about half an egg to 1 large carrot and beetroot) as they don't have the starch that the potato variety has.  Also, I used much less oil than traditional recipes, and finished them off on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes.  This ensures they are cooked through, and they go a lovely colour.  Served with flakes of smoked mackerel, some watercress, and creme fraiche mixed with grated horseradish, this made a really nice, almost Scandinavian, supper.

Roast Chicken Boulangere

This is my favourite way to prepare chicken for Sunday lunch - chunks of potatoes and onions on the bottom of the roasting tin, with some chicken stock, and a rack over them with a good free-range chicken above.  As the chook roasts, the juices drop onto the veg below and the stock keeps the meat succulent.  Served with Chard Gratin and a puree of carrot and swede it makes for a heavenly meal of good things to eat.  Especially when followed by apple, pear and pecan crumble with custard.  Yum!  I like to mix some thyme, lemon zest, garlic and seasoning with some olive oil and slip it between the skin and the breast meat, and then shove the halved lemon inside.  Drop the 'spent' shells (such a lovely expression) into the potatoes and onions, as they impart a lovely gentle lemoniness as they cook.

Potato, Leek and Swede Gratin

This dish came about as I stared at a leek and the remains of a swede sitting accusingly in the bottom of the fridge, but it was surprisingly good, and easy too.  Which is important this week, as I have broken two toes and can't stand around the kitchen easily.  So, I needed something that even my husband could do, and he's useless.  Sorry, dear heart, but it is true.  Anyway, if you can peel veg, and chop them (sort of) then you can make this.  For two: a large leek, well washed and sliced, a large potato (King Edward's or Maris Piper), peeled and thinly sliced and about a quarter of a swede, ditto.  Heat a quarter of a pint of milk, the same quantity of veg stock (Marigold is fine), a bay leaf, and 25g of butter in a pan.  Season well with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg, and add all the veg to the pan.  Cover, and simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes until the veg has softened.  Pour into a buttered shallow baking dish, removing the bay leaf, and sprinkle with about 50g of cheddar, parmesan, whatever you have in the house (I used a mix of the two).  Bake at 180C for 25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed, and the top is crusty brown and bubbling.  We baked some tomatoes alongside and ate with a watercress salad and a crusty loaf.  It would also be a nice accompaniment to roast chicken or turkey, I imagine.

Leek, Cheese and Potato Pie

Based on a recipe from Nigel, this is hardly diet food, but it warms the cockles and used up lots of odds and ends from the fridge.  Cut a medium peeled potato into small cubes and steam until tender.  Meanwhile, gently sweat a couple of cleaned, sliced leeks in about 20g of butter until soft, but not browned.  Turn off the heat and allow a dessertspoon of creme fraiche to melt through the leeks.  Cool a little, then gently stir in the cooked potatoes, about 50g of strong cheddar cheese, and I added a couple of slices of ham that needed using up.  Season well with black pepper.  Unroll a sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry and place on a baking sheet.  Spread the cooled filling on one half, leaving a centimetre border around the edge.  Brush the exposed border with some milk and bring the other half of the pastry over, sealing the edges.  Make a steam-hole in the top of the pie, brush with more milk, and cook at around 170C for 30 minutes or so until lovely and brown and crisp.  Would serve 4 at a pinch we we devoured it between two.  But we are pigs, after all.

Rosemary Saddleback Potatoes

This recipe comes from Sarah Raven's magisterial work, 'The Garden Cookbook' and is her version of the perhaps better known Hasselback Potatoes.  You take a medium potato, King Edward's in our case, and cut it through almost to the bottom at regular intervals.  Stuff chopped rosemary into as many of the slices you can (easier said than done!), sprinkle with salt and pepper and spoon over a couple of teaspoons of olive oil.  Repeat for as many as you want/need/think you can scoff.  Roast for an hour in a medium oven - around 170, ours sat happily next to a roasting chicken.  Simple and delicious.  You could vary the herbs, with thyme perhaps, and also garlic, which I might use next time.

Nigella's Rapid Roastini

Well, what can I say? These little babies may just change your life! First of all, get out to your local shop and buy a bag of shrink-wrapped long-life potato gnocchi. Yes, those ones. Yes, the ones that are like little hockey pucks of gluey starch. Trust me. Put a frying pan on the heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and allow to come up to temperature. Now, open the pack. This requires a Master's Degree in its own right. Carefully drop as many as you are able to eat in the oil and cook for 4 minutes. Turn them over and cook for another 4 minutes until a deep golden colour. Drain, sprinkle with salt, and eat. Sit back and marvel at how clever Nigella has transformed such an unpreposessing ingredient into little crisp roasted potatoes that are sooooo yummy. Now, go and cook the rest of the pack. You will want to, believe me. This is from Nigella's new book, 'Kitchen', a mammoth tome but worth it. Here is the recipe.

Patatas a lo Pobre

Or 'poor man's potatoes' - possibly my favourite dish tonight in our Spanish-fest: sliced potatoes, onion, garlic, red and green peppers, all cooked slowly in quite a lot of oil for a good 40 minutes until browned, soft and melting. Again, inspired by Riverford Organics and their brilliant recipe suggestions. I added finely chopped red and green chillies to add some zing. The addition of a teaspoon of wine (or sherry) vinegar at the end, along with parsley, elevated this to a new level. Although a lot of oil is used (5 tablespoons) if you use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan, you leave a fair bit behind. And it IS good for you, after all. Definitely be making this again, soon.

Aloo Ghobi [#206]

The first recipe from Anjum Anand for the Challenge - potatoes again, which have been a theme this week, with all the ice and snow around. So, basically a warm curry of potatoes and cauliflower, with onion, garlic and ginger, turmeric and ground coriander, and garam masala. I had no mango powder (erm...) so followed Anjum's suggestion of adding some tomato. I also added some more veg in the form of peas, sweetcorn and carrots to make a really substantial dish, to accompany some smoked haddock kedgeree. Loads of leftovers for lunch on Monday - warming, fragrant, wholesome, delicious, and dead cheap - I had everything needed in the house! Can't find Anjum's recipe online, but came across The Hairy Bikers' version on the Beeb, which was very similar, so here it is

Colcannon with Kale [#205]

Leafing through Nigel Slater's 'Tender' and the potato section, for something to accompany home-made 'Southern-fried chicken' (using the poached legs from the chicken pie earlier in the week) I came across Nigel's suggestion for colcannon with kale. Just right - fluffy mash, mixed with some steamed and finely chopped kale, along with some spring onions softened in butter and milk. Immensely soothing served in great big billowy clouds with the crunchy (baked) chicken. Well, it was -17.7C in Oxfordshire the other night, we NEED carbs! So nice to be cooking with Nigel again! I did mean to last night but had a fall on the ice and injured my wrist. So, instead of a dish of baked paper-thin sliced parsnips and celeriac that I had my eye on, we made a soup with the ingredients instead, which was utterly delicious - however, we can't really claim this as a challenge recipe, as it was essentially a different dish. Lovely combo though.

Duck Fat Potatoes with Garlic [#178]

What's not to like? Duck fat makes just the best roast potatoes, even better than goose fat, in my humble opinion. The garlic (and some thyme) introduces a nice twist to the usual recipe. However, I did change the cooking method here - rather than pan-frying for 40 minutes (splattery and messy) I cut into dice, par-boiled, drained, mussed in the pan, then crisply roasted them, with chopped garlic and thyme to season them. Lovely with roast lamb with rosemary, savoy cabbage and braised carrots. Mm-mmmm! (note that the online recipe here, from the Guardian, also included Pumpkin, which would be an excellent variation, I should think).

Roast Duck with Pancetta and Potatoes [#157]

Nigel was on top form tonight with this recipe and the dessert that followed (see'English Apple Cake'). A lovely free-range duck from Waitrose, ccoked slowly with big chunks of potato, diced pancetta, onions, and scented with fresh bay leaves, thyme and - my addition - fresh sage. After a couple of hours, the potatoes were crisp with duck fat and infused with herbiness. The gravy was made with the pan juices and crusty bits, deglazed with Marsala. Just heavenly - succulent duck, crisp potatoes, and some sauteed courgettes, all accompanied by a marvellous Californian Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast, a sumptuous meal indeed. The left-over duck will be shredded and stir-fried tomorrow with spinach, mushrooms, red pepper and noodles, with a teriyaki glaze.

Baked Lamb with Tomato and Rosemary [#135]

If you want a roast for a summer Sunday, this is a great choice. We chose a small half-leg of organic Welsh lamb, rather than the fattier neck chops suggested by Nigel, and have left-overs for tomorrow. You must keep the vegetables chunky so they don't break down in an hour-and-a-half in the oven. I also added some courgettes to Nigel's aubergines, onions, potatoes, and garlic. We accompanied the soft roasted vegetables with mouth-wateringly good spinach and green beans from Medley Manor Pick-Your-own -Yummy! We started the meal with crostini spread with smoked salmon pate, and will finish with Nigel's Raspberry Ice-cream cake.

Bream with Lemon and Anchovy Potatoes [#126]

Yum, yum, in my tum, as we used to say when little! As always, this recipe depends for success on really fresh fish, and Hayman's in Oxford's Covered Market came up trumps again, with beautiful gilt head bream. They are roasted whole with oregano and a little olive oil, and served with potatoes roast/simmered in stock with anchovy and lemon. The fish emerged after 20 minutes with lovely crisp skin and succulent flesh. Served with new season's green beans from Medley Manor Farm PYO in Binsey (the potatoes were from there too), this was just a perfect Friday night supper with a bottle of chilled white. Thanks Nigel.