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Perfect potatoes

The ultimate comfort food, potatoes are fantastically versatile too. Here's how to get the best out of them.

SHORT ORDER

  • Boil baby Mediterranean potatoes with their skins. Halve and mix in cooked and flaked salmon fillets, finely chopped red or spring onion, fresh dill and capers, and toss with a lemon and herb yoghurt dressing.
  • Mash potatoes with olive oil and stock instead of butter and milk, and stir in grainy mustard, fresh herbs or wasabi paste.
  • Add boiled baby potatoes and mushrooms to a spicy gravy made with chopped and sautéed onion, garlic, coriander, paprika, chilli powder and stock. Serve with a salad.
  • Toss wedges of large, waxy Mediterranean potatoes with grainy mustard, fresh rosemary, crushed garlic, olive oil and stock, and roast in a 200ºC oven until done. Toss with Italian parsley and serve with roast meat or chicken.
  • Make hasselback potatoes for a variation on the baked theme. Slice baking potatoes thinly, cutting three quarters through. Toss with garlic and olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast for 25 minutes until almost soft inside and crunchy on the outside. Toss sesame seeds with chilli powder, cumin and coriander seeds and sprinkle over potatoes. Bake for a further 5 minutes until ready.
  • Toss chunks of warm, cubed potato with finely crumbled feta cheese, lots of fresh herbs and spring or red onion. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, and a dollop of yoghurt. Serve warmish.
  • Place a chicken for roasting on a bed of thickly sliced potatoes and onions and roast as usual. Whip up a potato galette. Simple to do, divine to eat. And oh, so impressive. Thinly slice medium potatoes using a mandolin, potato peeler or very sharp knife. Lightly oil a cake tin and layer the potato slices, (5cm high) drizzling with olive oil and sprinkling rosemary tines sparingly in between every second layer. Bake for about 60 minutes or till golden and soft. Invert onto a plate and grill until golden. Serve hot or cold.

    SPUD SENSE

  • Potatoes are complex carbohydrates and high in starch.
  • They have a high glycaemic index (the rate at which energy from carbs is released), so they're instant energy.
  • Spuds have no fat. How we cook them or what we add to them causes all the trouble!
  • One medium potato contains roughly 375kJ.
  • Potatoes are low in sodium and high in potassium, which is important for proper muscle functioning, including the heart muscle.
  • They contain iron, vitamin B3, B6 and vitamin C, an important antioxidant.
  • Nutrients are stored just under the skin, so avoid peeling wherever possible.

    TASTE TACTICS

  • How you cook potatoes is determined by the starch content. The more waxy potatoes, like Mediterranean, are good in stews and casseroles and long-cooking dishes, because they are firm and won't break up.
  • Add a flavour enhancer like yoghurt, herb pesto, puréed vegetables or grated, strong cheese to drier varieties.
  • For a crispy skin, rub with salt before baking; for a soft skin, rub with oil.
  • Do not keep potatoes in plastic or refrigerate – they get hard and glassy.
  • Sprouts on potatoes can be poisonous; remove before cooking.

    Image: Wayne Keet/ Shape magazine

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