Category Archives: Potatoes

One-pot wonders, Potatoes, Poultry

Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes and Braised Kale

Now that the two big projects that kept me chained to my desk these past few weeks have finally gone off to the printer, I’d love nothing more than to light the turf fire (now that it’s cold enough for one) after the kids go to bed and catch up on all the cooking shows I’ve recorded. But there’s no rest for the weary, and I’m just as busy this week as Caroline from Bibliocook and I put the finishing touches to a new foodie project, to be launched at the Savour Kilkenny Food Camp on Friday. The focus is still on fast, fuss-free meals and I’m still leaning heavily on Nigella Lawson’s new book despite having acquired five other ones in the past six weeks, mainly because it never seems to leave my kitchen counter and make it back to the bookshelf. This tray bake was just what I needed for an easy midweek dinner, but once Friday’s launch is done and dusted and our mystery project goes live, I’m looking forward to some downtime and leisurely baking in the kitchen this weekend after Nigella’s book just so happened to fall open to the maple pecan bundt cake recipe…

If you like this chicken and chorizo hash, you’ll love this. Likewise, if you’re a fan of one-tray dinners that you can assemble in five minutes then pop in the oven and forget about, like oven-roasted sausage and sweet potato, cherry tomato and sausage bake, or balsamic roast chicken with roast tomatoes, then this is another recipe to add to that list.

Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes
adapted from Kitchen by Nigella Lawson

Serves 6

Nigella’s original recipe calls for 12 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on) to be cooked at 425°F (220°C) for 1 hour. She also calls for 2 teaspoons of dried oregano and the zest of 1 orange, both of which I left out. And while her original recipe calls for about 1 3/4 lb (750 g) of chorizo, I easily got away with using only 11 oz (300 g). She suggests dicing up any leftovers to make quesadillas.

6 chicken breasts
2 lb (1 kg) baby potatoes, halved
1 1/2 lb (680 g) chorizo, cut into 1 1/2‑inch pieces
2 or 3 red onions, roughly chopped
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the chicken, baby potatoes, chorizo and onions in a roasting tin (or divide between 2 baking trays). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Baste the contents with the oil released by the chorizo and serve.

***

Braised Kale

Serves 4

1 lb (450 g) kale (about 2 bunches), large center ribs and stems removed
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red chili, finely chopped, or a pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup (80 ml) dry white wine
zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the kale well, then cut crosswise into 1/2‑inch slices. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Saute the garlic the chili or red pepper flakes for 5 minutes, taking care not to let the garlic color. When the garlic has softened, raise the heat and add the kale. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the kale starts to wilt and turn a vibrant green. Add in the wine, lemon zest and juice and salt and pepper to taste. (Try not to cook the kale too long so that it keeps its bright green color.) Serve immediately.

Mexican food, Potatoes, Seafood

Fish Tacos with Mango Radish Salsa and Sweet Potato Wedges

When I was back home in the US in July, my friend Leah and I took a day trip to the wineries of southwestern Michigan, but before we made our way to a few of them, we stopped for lunch first. We had planned to have a posh lunch at the Tabor Hill Winery but it turned out they were closed on the day we went, so we backtracked to the lakeside resort town of New Buffalo, complete with waterfront condos and shops selling taffy, tacky souvenirs and cheap T‑shirts. The restaurant we wound up at was The Stray Dog, where we sat on the screened-in porch overlooking the boats in the marina across the street, eating fish tacos and fries and drinking iced tea — a perfect Plan B, actually.

To make fish tacos at home, I feel no shame in using lowbrow frozen fish sticks. I figure that if foodie heavyweights Jamie Oliver and Nigel Slater can get away with publishing recipes that use them (they both make sandwiches with them), then I’m in good company. I’ve always considered them to be my guiltiest foodie secret, buried deep in the freezer where no one can see them, reserved for the nights when I’m just too frazzled to face cooking dinner. But I’m coming clean now and adopting Jamie Oliver’s approach: “Be proud to eat fish fingers, that’s what I say.”

Fish Tacos with Mango Radish Salsa
adapted quite a lot from Tyler Florence

Serves 4

I’m sure Tyler Florence’s original recipe for homemade goujons using mahi mahi and panko is a real treat, but here is my unapologetically bastardized — and faster and easier — version. He also calls for a pink chile mayo made with canned chipotles in adobo sauce, and even though I brought back a couple cans from my trip, I was feeling too stingy to use them for this and improvised with this lime mayo instead.

for the fish tacos:
24 fish sticks (a.k.a. fish fingers in Ireland/the UK)
1/2 head Savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only, roughly chopped
6 spring onions or 1 bunch chives, chopped
lime wedges, to serves
corn or flour tortillas, to serve

for the lime mayo:
1/2 cup (120 ml) mayonnaise or sour cream
zest and juice of 1 lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the mango radish salsa:
4 to 6 red radishes, diced
2 mangoes, peeled and diced
1 red chili, finely diced (optional)
1/2 red onion, diced
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the fish sticks (fingers) according to the instructions on the package. Keep warm until ready to serve.

To make the lime mayo, whisk together the mayo, lime zest and juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the mango radish salsa, combine the mango, radishes, chili and red onion in a bowl. Pour over the lime juice and stir well, then scatter over the chopped cilantro and season to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve the tacos buffet style: pile up the fish sticks on a plate, put the lime mayo in a bowl and the mango radish salsa in another. Set a pile of shredded cabbage, cilantro leaves, chopped spring onions/chives and lime wedges next to the fish. Warm the tortillas in the oven for a minute or two (or zap them in a microwave) and serve, letting everyone help themselves.

***

Sweet Potato Wedges
adapted from Every Day by Bill Granger

Serves 4

2 lb (900 g) sweet potatoes, skin left on and cut into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
lime wedges, to serve

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

Toss the sweet potato batons with the olive oil, paprika, cayenne and salt and pepper. Scatter them in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the wedges are golden brown. Serve with lime wedges.

30-minute meals, Desserts, Fruit, Potatoes, Salads, Seafood

Potato Salad with Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Blueberries in Gin Syrup

Four years ago, when our daughter was 13 months old and not walking yet, we went to the Derryvilla Blueberry Farm** in County Offaly to pick berries. I still remember her crawling on the soft, boggy ground amongst the bushes, stopping now and then to pull a fat, sweet berry from the branches and pop it into her mouth. This time we had our son, who at two years old was a good age to enjoy picking the berries himself, so ripe they practically tumbled off the bushes and into our baskets. When we paid for our haul after an hour in the fields, the owner, Nuala, scooped up a bag full of berries from a nearby crate and gave them to the kids to eat in the car, free of charge. For the first 30 minutes of the drive home, all we could hear from the back seat was the sound of their little hands rustling in the paper bags as they snacked on the berries as if they were a bag of pick ‘n’ mix candy.

When my husband was a boy growing up in Michigan, one summer he and his family picked 80 lb of blueberries. In comparison, the 9 lb we picked last weekend seems meager, but it was enough to make a dinner of salmon with a blueberry pan sauce, a batch of blueberry crumb bars and these blueberries in gin syrup.* I froze the rest to use in my kids’ favorite breakfast once the weather turns cold, blueberry and banana porridge. I’m already looking forward to remembering the sunny, hot summer day we spent picking berries every time I add them to my children’s oatmeal this winter.

*If you’re looking for more blueberry recipes, try this lemon blueberry buckle or peach and blueberry sour cream cobbler.

*Derryvilla Blueberry Farm is located roughly between Newbridge in County Kildare and Portlaoise in County Laois, not too far off the M7 motorway. Ring 057 864 2882 or 087 246 6643 for opening times and directions.

Smoked Salmon and Potato Salad with Horseradish Crème Fraîche
adapted from Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver

Serves 4 as a light dinner or lunch

As often as not, I lazily skip the lemon, vinegar and olive oil dressing and just mix the horseradish crème fraîche into the potatoes instead of dolloping it over the salad. In that case, add the lemon zest to the crème fraîche and sprinkle the capers over the salad instead.

1 1/4 lb (570 g) new potatoes, washed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
zest and juice of 1 large lemon
splash of red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons capers, drained
14 oz (400 g) smoked salmon, roughly chopped
a small bunch of fresh dill or fennel tops, roughly chopped, or 1 tablespoon dried dill
2 or 3 tablespoons jarred horseradish sauce, or to taste
1/2 cup (120 ml) crème fraîche

Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on their size (you want them to be in bite-sized pieces). Tip into a pot of boiling salted water and boil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are just cooked. Drain in a colander and cover with a tea towel to dry them out a bit while you make the dressing.

Put the lemon zest and half the lemon juice into a bowl and add the vinegar. Pour in three times as much olive oil as lemon juice and add the capers. Season the dressing with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and drizzle the dressing over. Toss gently until the potatoes are all well coated. Add in the smoked salmon and most of the dill and toss again. Transfer the potatoes and salmon to a serving bowl or platter or individual plates.

Mix the horseradish sauce into the crème fraîche with the remaining lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Dollop the crème fraîche over the salad and sprinkle over the rest of the dill or fennel.

Blueberries in Gin Syrup
adapted from Gourmet, August 2008

Serves 6

This recipe is open to adaptation. The original version conjures up a forest by adding a rosemary sprig and crushed juniper berries to infuse the syrup. I didn’t care for that so I’ve left it out here to make a plainer syrup. However, you could also try infusing the syrup with a cinnamon stick or a strip of lemon peel, and you could leave out the gin entirely too. These will keep for 1 or 2 days in the fridge.

1 cup (240 ml) water
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1 1/2 lb/2 pints (680 g) blueberries
1/4 cup (60 ml) dry gin

Boil the water and sugar in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, until the syrup has reduced to about 3/4 cup (180 ml), which should take 10 to 12 minutes. Put the blueberries in a heatproof bowl and strain the syrup through a sieve over the berries. Stir in the gin. Allow the berries to macerate in the syrup for about 30 minutes, until the berries are completely cooled. Eat them on their own in a bowl, or spooned over vanilla ice cream, not forgetting to drizzle over some of the syrup too.

Beef, Potatoes, Salads, Slow cooker

Slow Cooker Braised BBQ Beef and Roseanne Cash’s Potato Salad

When I was back in the States last month, my friends were great sports and fired up the grill to make bratwurst and beer can chicken after I bemoaned the lack of barbecue-worthy weather in Ireland. Back home in Ireland, though, I can still try to recreate those flavors and memories of hot Midwestern summer evenings with these pulled beef sandwiches. Made in the slow cooker, there’s no charcoal to light and no need to keep one wary eye on the inevitably approaching rain, and if you need to feed a small army at some point this summer, then this is the recipe for you — it can be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled. And even though my husband makes a mean barbecue sauce, this is one of the rare times I’ll give in to convenience and opt for something store-bought instead of homemade, making this one of the easiest recipes in my summertime repertoire.

Slow Cooker Braised BBQ Beef

Serves 10 to 12

This recipe also works well with an equal weight of boneless, skinless chicken breasts to make a versatile shredded BBQ chicken.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 x 3 lb (1.4 kg) pot roast or chuck roast, rinsed and dried
1 x 28 oz (or 2 x 14 oz/400 g) can of whole plum tomatoes
18 oz (500 ml) of your favorite barbecue sauce, either store-bought or homemade
salt and freshly ground black pepper
soft sandwich rolls or hamburger buns

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on a medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer the onions and garlic to the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the barbecue sauce and stir everything to combine. Add in the pot roast, cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the meat is tender and shreds apart easily. When the meat is cooked through, remove it from the slow cooker and shred with a fork. Set aside.

If you want the sauce to be a bit thicker, transfer it to a pot on the stove on a medium-high heat, uncovered. Reduce the liquid until it’s the desired thickness, making sure to stir the sauce often to prevent it from burning.

Return the meat to the sauce in the slow cooker or in the pot to warm through again. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve on buns.

***

Roseanne Cash’s Potato Salad
adapted from Bon Appétit, June 2004

Serves 8

For something a little different, Cash sometimes adds some chopped fresh cilantro and 2 teaspoons curry powder. This can be made up to 1 day ahead and tastes best if it’s allowed to stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

3 lb (1.4 kg) baby potatoes (red-skinned are good), unpeeled
8 to 10 dill pickle spears, coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup (180 ml) mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Scrub the potatoes, then cut into quarters or halves, depending on their size (you want them to be in bite-sized pieces). Cook them in a large pot of boiling salted water until they’re tender but still holding their shape. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Stir in the remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Miscellaneous, Potatoes, Poultry

Beer Can Chicken and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Jalapeno Sour Cream

After over a year apart, Kristin and I were finally able to cook together last week during her trip back to the Midwest. In anticipation of her visit, and remembering her recent laments about the lack of weather worthy of grilling in Ireland, I cooked a few days of grill-friendly meals: fajitas (excellent excuse for homemade margaritas), kofta kabobs, and this summer’s favorite discovery, beer can chicken. I’ve read about the beer can technique for years but couldn’t bring myself to literally stuff a bird with a beverage until recently. My distrust was completely unfounded because this recipe rocks. Plus, it makes for a funny blog picture.

For a delicious and easy side dish, I roasted sweet potatoes and served them with make-it-in-a-minute maple jalapeno sour cream. I like to roast my potatoes right alongside the chicken to avoid heating up the kitchen. To roast sweet potatoes in a charcoal grill, simply wrap the sweet potatoes in foil (heavy duty recommended) and place them on or near the hot coals. Roast them until tender, usually 60 to 75 minutes, depending on the size of the sweet potatoes, their proximity to the coals, and the heat of the fire.

Beer Can Chicken

Beer Can Chicken
adapted from Food Network

Serves 6

You can also make beer can chicken in the oven instead of on a grill — try following the cooking instructions for this version of it (but note that this recipe calls for a smaller chicken; adjust your cooking time accordingly).

1 x 4 lb (about 2 kg) whole chicken
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub
1 can of beer

Remove the neck and giblets from the chicken and discard. Rinse the chicken inside and out, and pat it dry with paper towels. Rub the chicken lightly with oil, then rub it inside and out with salt, pepper and the dry rub. Set the chicken aside.

Open the beer can and take a few sips (make them big gulps so that the can is only half full). Place the beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity over the beer can. Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your grill and place it in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its 2 legs and the can like a tripod.

Cook the chicken over medium-high, indirect heat (i.e. no coals or burners on directly under the bird), with the grill cover on, for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165°F in the breast area and 180°F in the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when pierced with a sharp knife. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

***

Maple Jalapeno Sour Cream

Makes 2 cups

2 cups (480 ml) sour cream
1 jalapeno, minced (seeds and membranes removed before mincing if you don’t want it too spicy)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Gently mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to 4 hours. Dollop on top of the roasted sweet potatoes.

Beef, Entertaining, Miscellaneous, Potatoes

Beef Tenderloin with Three-herb Chimichurri and Sweet Potato Wedges

Chimichurri is what all the cool kids are eating now, according to Saturday’s Irish Times. I made this three-herb chimichurri a few weeks ago, inspired by the herbs I got from Living Flavour last month, so I’m feeling very smug and ahead of the trends.

Chimichurri is usually only made with parsley, but this version, using cilantro and mint as well, is even better. And now that so many people are growing their own these days, it’s an ideal recipe for using up some of the herbs from your garden.

If you want to make this recipe even faster (and less expensive) to cook, use steaks or even chicken instead of a pricey tenderloin. I served sweet potato wedges with this, but a selection of roasted or grilled vegetables would be fantastic too.

Beef Tenderloin with Three-herb Chimichurri
adapted from Bon Appétit, July 2006

Serves 4 to 6

The original recipe calls for the beef to be grilled, but since my Weber hasn’t been used (and therefore cleaned) since about 2006, I opted to roast it instead. I also scaled down the original quantities to make this more suitable for a family dinner. Click on the link above for grilling instructions and for ingredient quantities to serve 8 to 10.

for the spice rub:
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or ancho chile powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

for the chimichurri:
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 medium shallot, peeled and quartered
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (optional)
1 1/2 cups (packed) (30 g) stemmed fresh parsley
1 cup (packed) (20 g) stemmed fresh cilantro
1/2 cup (packed) (15 g) stemmed fresh mint

1 x 2 lb (900 g) beef tenderloin
olive oil

To make the spice rub, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

To make the chimichurri sauce, combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until almost smooth. Add one-quarter of each of the herbs and blend until incorporated. Add the remaining herbs in three more additions, pureeing until almost smooth after each addition. Add in a little more olive oil if you think it needs it — you want it to have a pesto-like consistency, not a paste.

Let the beef stand at room temperature 1 hour before roasting. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 425°F (220°C). Pat the beef dry with paper towels, then brush with oil. Sprinkle all over with the spice rub, using all of the mixture (the coating will be thick). Heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and sear the beef for 1 minute on all sides. Transfer the beef to a foil-lined baking sheet (for easier clean-up) and roast for about 30 to 40 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125°F to 130°F (52°C to 54°C) for medium-rare. Transfer to a platter, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Thinly slice the beef crosswise and serve with the chimichurri sauce.

Italian food, Potatoes, Poultry

Chicken Piccata with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

It’s often said that there are six degrees of separation in the world, but I always say it’s much less than that in Ireland because it’s such a small country. Let me give you some examples of what I mean. I’m four degrees removed from Prince Charles (I’m friends with a woman who worked with Seamus Heaney’s wife, and Seamus Heaney once sat next to Prince Charles at a dinner — this also makes me three degrees removed from Seamus Heaney). I’m three degrees removed from Bono (I worked on a book written by Adi Roche, who founded the Chernobyl Children’s Project International charity, which has Ali Hewson as its patron, who is married to Bono). And after meeting the lovely Sharon Hearne-Smith at the Bord Bia Irish food bloggers event two weeks ago, I’m now only two degrees removed from the Barefoot Contessa herself, since Sharon is a food stylist who works on her TV show. Sure, Prince Charles, Seamus Heaney and Bono all make for a good story, but it was talking to someone who has actually worked with Ina Garten — who has been in her house and had the legend herself make her a whiskey sour! — that made me swoon in fawning admiration (and, truth be told, complete jealousy).

Which is all as good a way as any to segue into this chicken piccata recipe. You probably know by now how much I love Ina Garetn’s recipes and how many of them I cook, so it’s no small thing to say this one is one of my favorites (plus kids tend to love anything breaded). Another great thing about this recipe is that you can easily turn it into Parmesan chicken by adding 1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan to the breadcrumbs and omitting the lemon sauce. I won’t kid you, the method is a little time consuming and messy, what with all the pounding and measuring and bowls to clean afterward, but the results are worth it.

You could serve just about any vegetable with this; I made these green beans dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt.

Chicken Piccata
adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

Serves 4

As an alternative to flattening the chicken with a meat tenderizer, simply butterfly each breast, cut it in half and proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (50 g) all-purpose flour
1 or 2 large eggs
1/2 tablespoon water
1 cup (50 g) seasoned dry breadcrumbs (I used Paxo brand here in Ireland)
good-quality olive oil
3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
juice of 2 lemons (to yield 1/3 cup (80 ml) juice), lemon halves reserved
1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
sliced lemon, to garnish
chopped fresh parsley leaves, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin until it’s 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon water together. Place the breadcrumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour and shake off the excess, then dip in the egg and lastly the breadcrumb mixtures.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium to medium-low heat. Add the breaded chicken breasts and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the lined baking tray and allow them to bake in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

To make the sauce once you’ve cooked all the chicken, wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel. Over a medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon (15 g) of the butter, then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over a high heat for about 2 minutes, until reduced by half. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with slices of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley to garnish.

***

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes 
from A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider

Serves 4

You can make the potatoes up to 3 hours ahead. About 20 minutes before serving, warm them in a double boiler, stirring frequently, until hot.

1 1/4 lb (570 g) floury potatoes, such as Kerr’s Pink, Maris Piper or Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into 2‑inch chunks if large
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk, warmed (not hot)
1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter
freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the cooking water.

Return the potatoes to the pan and set over a low heat, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let the potatoes dry out a little (too much moisture will dilute their flavor). For the smoothest potatoes, pass them through a food mill or potato ricer. For a slightly coarser puree, mash them with a potato masher or fork or use a hand mixer. Beat the buttermilk into the potatoes with a wooden spoon until thoroughly incorporated. If you prefer even creamier potatoes, add a little of the reserved cooking liquid. Beat in the butter, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and plenty of pepper. Serve at once, or keep the potatoes warm, covered, in a double boiler over hot water for up to 1 hour.

Potatoes, Seafood

Cajun Mackerel with Sweet Potato Wedges and Smoky Kale

The only downside of having so many cookbooks is that some of them inevitably wind up gathering dust as you add shiny new ones to your collection. When I pulled my long-neglected copy of The Eden Cookbook off the shelf a few weeks ago to make the tandoori chicken with Bombay potatoes, I came across this recipe (or should I say rediscovered it?) while flipping through it again. My kids still love mackerel as much as ever, and my little boy liked this version so much that he was practically shoving fistfuls of it in his mouth and had eaten all of it before I’d even finished plating up my own dinner. It’s just a pity I let this recipe sit undiscovered on the shelf for so long.

Cajun Mackerel with Lime Mayo
adapted from The Eden Cookbook by Eleanor Walsh and Michael Durkin

Serves 4

for the Cajun mackerel:
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
3/4 cup (90 g) flour
4 mackerel fillets, deboned and butterflied, skin left on
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
lime wedges, to serve

for the lime mayo:
1 cup (240 ml) good-quality mayonnaise
zest and juice of 1 lime (or more to taste)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the lime mayo, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime zest and juice. Add seasoning to taste and set aside.

To cook the mackerel, mix the Cajun seasoning with the flour in a shallow bowl. Toss the mackerel fillets in the flour, making sure they are evenly covered. Shake off any excess flour. Heat a frying pan and add the oil. Place the mackerel fillets in the oil, flesh side down (you might need to cook the mackerel in batches; don’t crowd the pan). Cook for 2 minutes and carefully turn over. Add the butter to the pan. Cook the fish for a further 2 minutes and remove from the pan. Serve the mackerel on warm plates with lime wedges and a dollop of the lime mayo.

***

Sweet Potato Wedges
adapted from Every Day by Bill Granger

Serves 4

2 lb (900 g) sweet potatoes, skin left on and cut into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
lime wedges, to serve

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

Toss the sweet potato batons with the olive oil, paprika, cayenne and salt and pepper. Scatter them in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the wedges are golden brown. Serve with lime wedges.

***

Smoky Quick-cooked Kale
adapted from The New York Times, April 13, 2010

Serves 4

1 1/4 lb (570 g) kale (about 1 bunch)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the tough stems and center ribs from the kale. Stack half the leaves and roll into a cigar shape (like you would for doing a chiffonade), then cut crosswise into very thin strips. Repeat with the remaining leaves.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat until hot, then add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the garlic and smoked paprika and cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute, until the garlic is softened. Add the kale and cook, tossing very frequently, for about 5 minutes, until tender and bright green. Stir in the lime juice and add seasoning to taste.