Summer potato recipes from salads to creamy cheese croquettes
Ah, the humble potato. It's easy to take for granted, but it has a rich and fascinating history – especially in Ireland. Between 1845 and 1852, the Great Famine struck, when disease wiped out the country's main food source, leading to mass starvation. Amid this tragedy, a French chef named Alexis Soyer, who was something of a celebrity in London for cooking for the upper classes, travelled to Dublin and set up a soup kitchen that fed 100 people an hour.
He also published affordable cookbooks filled with budget-friendly recipes. I'm lucky enough to have a couple of early editions in my cookbook library, sitting proudly alongside the works of Eliza Acton, Hannah Glasse and other culinary legends.
Potatoes truly deserve a starring role on our plates. There are so many incredible varieties available, each with its own flavour, texture and charm – not to mention some fantastic names. French varieties such as Ratte and pink fir apple made their way to Britain in the late 1800s. The knobbly pink fir apple, with its waxy texture and nutty flavour, is a standout. You don't even need to peel it – just give it a good scrub, or boil and then scrape off the skin if you prefer a smoother finish.
And then there's the legendary Jersey Royal, which has its own origin story. Hugh de La Haye bought two enormous potatoes with 16 eyes, chopped them up, and shared them with his friends to plant. The following year, on a steep slope by the sea, little kidney-shaped spuds emerged. The Jersey Royal – once nicknamed the Jersey Fluke – was born. I've been lucky enough to see them growing on those steep hills, known as cottles, covered in seaweed that gives them their signature flavour.
That waxy, earthy taste makes them ideal for a salad – like my one with creamy cuttlefish and salty samphire. Simple, elegant and bursting with freshness.
There are floury potatoes such as Maris Piper, Desiree and King Edward. These fluff up beautifully when cooked, making them perfect for chips, roasties or anything that needs a bit of crispiness. They're great all-rounders too, which makes them spot-on for a rösti.
Speaking of which, rösti is one of those underrated potato dishes that deserves more love in UK kitchens. Originating in 16th-century Switzerland as a breakfast dish for farmers, it's traditionally made from grated cooked potatoes. Golden, crispy and comforting – it's a real winner.
So next time you reach for a potato, remember – there's a whole lot of history and flavour packed into that little tuber.
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