4 WONDERFUL WAYS WITH POTATOES

Baked, fried, steamed… we love this super spud in all forms.

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From fried dumplings to cheesy potato lava cakes, make culinary magic with the humble potato for International Day of Potato on 30 May!

SWEET PUNE & POTATO FRIED DUMPLINGS
MAKES 12 
COOKING TIME 1 hour 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1kg potatoes
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup walnuts
2 Tbsp butter
1 egg
Salt
1 cup flour
½ cup prunes, pitted, finely chopped
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1½ cups breadcrumbs
Icing sugar, for sprinkling

METHOD
1. Pierce the potatoes with a fork and boil until soft. Remove from the pot and immediately place in cold water so skins can be easily removed.
2. Peel potatoes while warm and mash well. Press through a sieve to make extra smooth if you like.
3. In a pan over low heat, melt the sugar, being careful not to let it boil.
4. Add walnuts, stirring to coat them evenly in the syrup. Spread out on baking paper to cool. Once cooled, chop them roughly.
5. Combine mashed potatoes, butter, egg and a pinch salt. Add flour, prunes and walnuts (don’t overmix). Place in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes.
6. Heat oil in a pot to medium hot.
7. Roll tablespoons of the potato mixture into balls, then roll in the breadcrumbs. Fry until golden brown, 2–3 minutes.
8. Remove fried dumplings from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.
9. Serve the dessert sprinkled with icing sugar.

Recipe and styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Kendall-Leigh Nash, HMimages

POTATO CRUST QUICHE
SERVES 6

COOKING TIME 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
5 potatoes, sliced
Vegetable oil, to toss
Salt and pepper
5 eggs
1 cup milk
½ tin sweetcorn
2 tbsp flour

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C and prepare a 20cm casserole dish.
2. Toss the potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a circular pattern covering the bottom and sides of the casserole dish. The slices should extend over the rim by about 3cm, as they will shrink in the oven.
3. Place the dish on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork.
4. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 160°C. Allow potatoes to cool for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs until smooth, then whisk in milk, sweetcorn, flour and ¾ tsp salt, ensuring it is all well combined.
6. Pour egg mixture into the potato crust, filling to just below the top.
7. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the centre is just set. If the edges of the crust get too dark, cover with foil and continue baking.
8. Cool for 1 hour, then serve at room temperature or chilled.

BUDGET TIP: Swap out the milk for amasi if that’s what you have in the fridge.

Recipes and styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen

SPINACH AND POTATO GRATIN
SERVES 4

COOKING TIME 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
250ml reduced-fat cream
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
Salt and pepper
500g baby spinach
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
850g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (±3mm)
35g Cheddar, grated

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200°C and grease an ovenproof dish.
2. Place cream, garlic, thyme and rosemary in a small pot over low heat’. Slowly increase the heat until bubbles form around the edges.
3. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain to remove the herbs and garlic.
4. Place spinach in a colander and pour a kettle of boiling water over it. Allow to drain for a few minutes, then squeeze out any remaining water. Place spinach in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Arrange a layer of potato slices across the bottom of the prepared ovenproof dish. Season with salt, then top with the spinach. Layer the rest of the potato slices on top.
6. Pour over the cream and sprinkle with the cheese.
7. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Recipe, styling and photography: Anett Velsberg

CHEESY POTATO LAVA CAKES
MAKES 4

COOKING TIME 55 minutes

INGREDIENTS
6 large potatoes
4 Tbsp butter
3 eggs
Salt and black pepper
200g cheddar, cut into 4 cubes

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C and grease 4 ramekins generously.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork, then boil until soft. Remove from the pot and immediately place them in cold water so the skins can be easily removed.
3. Peel the potatoes while still warm, then place in a large bowl and mash. Add the butter, eggs, and salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Divide the mash among the ramekins, inserting a cube of cheese into the middle of each.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
6. To serve, turn out onto plates and serve with fresh greens.

Recipe and styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Kendall-Leigh Nash, HMimages