The story of the humble potato is a tortuous one: when Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Americas nearly five centuries ago, finding a new food crop was the last thing on their minds. El Dorado, the mythical city of gold, was the object of their feverish desire, not spuds. As the well-armed troops marched over the barren Andean slopes on their way to capture the Inca Atahualpa, they hardly took notice of the plant under their feet that the locals called papa.
The rest is warped history indeed. Once potatoes gained a foothold in Europe, it revolutionized cultivation, it allowed an average family of six to eat up to six pounds of the tubers per day. In Ireland, I've read, an adult would consume up to 10 pounds each day. The potato was easier to grow than any grain, taking up much less space and needing less care. And another plus, Vodka is made from potatoes!
But the potato’s struggle for acceptance in Europe took place at every level of society, from palaces’ kitchens to slum street corners, from the hallowed halls of power to the battlefields of wars of the moment. Resistance to eating potatoes was so strong in parts of the continent that several rulers who wished to overcome anti-potato sentiments literally had to force potatoes down their subjects’ throats:
In 1651, Frederick William of Prussia issued an edict threatening to cut off the nose and ears of anyone who refused to plant potatoes. Frederick the Great, still facing resistance more than a century later, sent a wagon load of tubers to peasants in a famine-stricken area, only to receive a petulant reply: "The things have neither smell nor taste, not even the dogs will eat them, so what use are they to us?"
Similarly, French potato enthusiast Antoine Auguste Parmentier (of the Hachis Parmentier fame) had to
trick peasants into stealing tubers from Louis XVI’s Royal Gardens in order to convince them of the potatoes’ virtues
.
Having lived in Ireland for the last 16 years I am constantly reminded of its recent history particularly of the horrifying years between 1845 and 1849. Though the potato famine is well over, famines still occur in some parts of the world (this link here will give you an understanding of the part the English played in the severity of that particular disaster, not gentle reading for the faint heart!)
But I digress, and you want recipes...and which potato recipe is the most used in the world? Gratin, of course (apparently the second is a trusty purée or mash, third is the chip or fries as some would call them). Gratin is easy to do, one can use any kind of leftover and cover with rows of delightful slices of the tuber.
A few words on gratins: the origin of the word gratin comes from the French verb gratter (to grate, I suppose before the potato was around, chefs would grate hard cheese to top up baked vegetable dishes such as Swiss chard, even artichokes). To qualify as a gratin, a dish has only to be finished under a grill or broiler (preferably) or in the oven, so that its top is browned (at the heart of the concept is simply a combination or meat and vegetables or both). Well, there's really more than that of course. A good potato gratin should be half crisp half chewy and redolent of caramelized (think onions) flavors which have been enriched with a good stock and a well chosen piece of cheese to tpo it up. I have done gratins with ordinary cheddar (though the mature kind), Gruyère, Emmental (possibly the best cheese to use for gratins), Fontina and even dabbled with the famous Spanish cheese, Manchego (it wasn't a success). The following recipe is the one that I do the most:
Gratin of Ham & Russet Potatoes
This is a winner, just about everyone loves this and kids lap it up (for the vegetarian version, just replace the ham with sautéed leeks mixed with Swiss chard....or spinach) and Russet spuds can be found almost anywhere.
For six persons you will need 12 to 14 ounces of crumbly country ham, cut into thin strips, 3 pounds of Russet potatoes, 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced finely, 1 pint of fresh cream, a pinch of grated nutmeg, a sprig of thyme (dried ok), 6 ounces of grated mild cheddar (you can use less if desired), salt & pepper to taste and a knob of butter (usually about 2 ounces).
Wash & peel the potatoes, and slice finely. In a shallow baking dish, alternate the potatoes and the ham in layers adding the seasoned cream, the garlic and a sprinkling of garlic (and black pepper) as you go until you are done. Dot with a little butter, top with grated cheese and bake in a moderate oven for a 40 to 50 minutes or so, until the potatoes are tender. A green salad to accompany this is heaven!
This recipe is fantastic for both the omnivore and the vegetarian alike. And a wonderful dish when suffering a hangover!
Thai Potato Curry
For 4 persons (allowing a large potato pp) 4 red-skinned potatoes, 2 onions, 4 to 6 Thai chilies, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 2 ounces Thai green curry paste (my rule of the thumb is 2 teaspoons for 2 ounces), 1 cup of coconut milk, 1 cup of vegetable broth, a pinch of turmeric, a generous pinch of chopped galangal (ginger if you can't find it), the juice of 1 lime, a few cilantro leaves, salt & pepper to taste.
Wash & peel the potatoes and cut in to medium-sized cubes. Slice the Onion length-wise and cut the Thai chilies into thin strips and set aside. In a large wok or skillet, pour the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and the chilies and stir-fry until golden, 4 to 5 minutes (you will have noticed that I didn't include garlic in this dish). Add curry paste and galangal, stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and toss well to coat evenly. Stir in coconut milk first then the broth and the turmeric, salt & pepper to your liking. Cover and simmer until potatoes are render, 20 to 25 minutes. Just before serving stir the lime juice and toss about the cilantro.
Should both houses be retained by the Democrats (and IMHO, I think it will), I think you should celebrate in style with the following dish:
Truffled Mashed Potatoes De Luxe
This is truly the Rolls Royce of potato dishes, and can be served with any meat joint, game or fish, as well as a vegetarian ragout of fresh mushrooms (for which you can look up my recipe here)
Choose Russet potatoes again, do not use a waxy kind. As for the truffle bit, you either can purchase a reasonably priced truffle oil or a small tin of minced truffles in their juices. For 4 persons you will need 6 large potatoes, cut into 2 inch chunks, half a pint of double cream, 2 ounces of unsalted butter, a soup-spoon of finely minced parsley, and salt & black pepper to taste.
This is an easy process: in a cooking pot place the potato chunks and cover with cold water. Bring to boil gently until cooked. Do not use a food processor to purée the cooked potatoes or it will feel plasticky. Instead use a moulinette or a grater, and using a spatula, add the double cream as you go, the butter, the truffles and its juices. Sprinkle the parsley and adjust the seasoning to your liking, and it's done. I've tried several versions of this dish, the one that was the most successful was when I beat the cream to small peaks and folded it into the mash.
Next week I have the frittata recipe as well as the celebrated potato Colcannon, potato pancake, blinis and more. If you want to add a recipe let me know in the comments.