Let’s face it, we can never have too many potato recipes! Follow our top tips and easy techniques and you’ll be cooking up perfect potatoes every time.

1. Chilli-Crushed Crispy Potatoes
2. The ultimate Creamy Garlic Mash
3. Fluffy Duchesse
4. Crunchy Croquettes
5. Crispiest Roast Potatoes
6. Cheesy Boulangére
7. Bayleaf Hasselbacks
8. Salt ‘n’ Pepper Wedges
9. Potato Skins
10. Gourmet Sautés
11. Really Moreish Crispy Rostis
12. Oh-so-easy Homemade Chips

1. Chilli-Crushed Crispy Potatoes

Serves 4-6 | Ready in 40 mins | 907 – 1 357 kj per serving |
17-11,5g fat | 2,5-1,7g sat fat

1. Heat oven to 200°C. Add 1kg new  potatoes to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 10-20 mins until tender. Drain well, then break up the poatoes with a fork.
   (Tip: This recipe is best made with waxy potatoes.)
2. Add 6 tbsp olive oil, ¾tsp chilli flakes and 2 tbsp chopped parsley, season well to taste and toss together.
3. Transfer to a baking tray and put in the oven for 20-25 mins to crisp up.

2. The Ultimate Creamy Garlic Mash

Serves 4 | Ready in 45 mins | 1 457kJ per serving | 20gfat | 10g sat fat

1. Heat oven to 200°C. Drizzle 1 -2 garlic bulbs with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Wrap up in a double layer of foil to make a parcel. Roast for 35-40 mins.
2. Put 900g potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks, in a large pan; add salt and sprigs of rosemary or thyme. Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10-14 mins. Drain; remove the herbs and return to the pan. Squeeze out roasted garlic pulp into the potatoes.
3. Add 50g butter and mash until smooth; season with salt, nutmeg and white pepper. Beat in 75ml gently heated reduced fat cream.

3. Fluffy Duchesse

Serves 6 | Ready in 1 hr | 966kj per serving | 11g fat |  6g sat fat

1. Put 1 kg potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks, in a pan with water; add a pinch of salt and boil. Cook for 15-20 mins. Drain, then add 50g butter and mash. Stir in 2 egg yolks, a grating of nutmeg, 2tsp Dijon mustard and pepper.
2. Heat oven to 200°C. Fill a piping bag with mash and pipe 12 rosettes onto a baking tray. Sprinkle on 30g grated Parmesan and bake for 20 mins.

4. Crunchy Croquettes

Serves 6 | Ready in 45 mins | 1 386 kJ per serving 19g fat | 6,5g sat fat

1. Put 1 kg potatoes, peeled and cut in large chunks, in a pan with water; add a pinch of salt and bring to boil. Cook for 15-20 mins. Drain; add 50g butter and mash. Stir in 2 egg yolks. Roll into cylinders. Coat in 3 tbsp flour, dip in beaten egg, then in 75g breadcrumbs.
2. Heat oven to 200°C. Heat 75ml oil in a heavy-based pan and fry croquettes for 8-10 mins, until golden. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 10 mins.

5. Crispiest Roast Potatoes

Serves 4-6 | Ready in 1 hr + drying out time | 941 – 1 411kJ per serving | 16-11g fat | 1,5 – 2,5g sat fat

1. Heat oven to 200°C. Put 1kg medium potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks, in a pan. Cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 mins or until almost cooked. Drain, and allow to dry out. Shake well to ‘roughen up’ the potatoes for extra crunchy outsides.
2. Meanwhile, pour 6 tbsp canola or sunflower oil into a large roasting tin and heat in the oven for 5 mins, until very hot. Remove from the oven and spoon in the potatoes, coating each in hot fat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Roast the potatoes in the oven for 40-50 mins, turning once or twice, until they’re golden and crispy. Best made with floury potatoes.

6. Cheesy Boulangére

Serves 6 | Ready in 1 hr 30 mins | 937kJ per serving | 11g fat | 6,5g sat fat

1. Best made from waxy potatoes. Heat oven to 170°C. Put 400ml vegetable or chicken stock, 4 tbsp cream, 2 chopped garlic cloves and 1 finely sliced onion into a pan. Heat until just under boiling point, then remove from heat. Grease an ovenproof dish with butter.
2. Layer 800g peeled and thinly sliced potatoes in a dish; season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour over half the stock, then add another layer of potato. Cover with rest of liquid and season, then scatter on 50g Gruyére cheese.
4. Dot with butter and bake for about 1 hr.

7. Bayleaf Hasselbacks

Serves 6 | Ready in 1 hr 10 mins | 672 kJ per serving | 7g fat | 4g sat fat

1. Best made from waxy potatoes. Heat oven to 200°C. Remove a slice from the bottom of 12 medium, washed, waxy potatoes, so they sit flat on a chopping board. Without cutting all the way through, make deep slashes into each one, about 3mm apart.
2. Transfer to a roasting tin in a single layer. Tuck 2 bayleaf halves into each one; dot with 50g butter, then season well.
3. Pour 200ml white wine and 150ml vegetable stock around the potatoes and bake for 1 hr or longer, until tender.

8. Salt ‘n’ Pepper Wedges

Serves 4 | Ready in 55 mins | 840 kJ per serving | 6g fat | 0,8g sat fat

1. Best made with floury potatoes. Heat oven to 200°C. In a bowl, mix 4 medium baking potatoes with skins on, each cut into 6 wedges, with 2 tbsp olive oil or sunflower oil.
2. Spread out in a single layer on a non-stick baking tray.
3. Season with salt and pepper, then bake in the oven for about 40-50 mins, turning once, until crispy and golden brown.

9. Potato Skins

Serves 6 | Ready in 1 hr 20 mins | 378kJ per serving | 2g fat | 0,2g sat fat

1. Best made with floury potatoes. Heat oven to 200°C. Bake 6 x 200g baking potatoes, pricked, for about 1 hr, until soft and cooked, turning twice.
2. Cool for 10 mins, cut in half, scoop out insides leaving 5mm potato attached to the skins (use leftover potato for mash, fish cakes etc).
3. Cut skins into strips, toss in ½ tbsp olive oil and put on a baking tray. Season well and bake for 15-20 mins until crisp.

10. Gourmet Sautés

Serves 2 | Ready in 20 mins + cooling | 1 504kJ per serving | 22g fat | 8g sat fat

1. Put 450g peeled potatoes in a pan with boiling water. Simmer for 8 mins until tender. Drain and cool, then slice in 1cm rounds.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Fry potatoes for 8 mins, turning them halfway, adding rosemary sprigs, until golden.
3. Add 25g cubed butter and fry for a further 2 mins.

11. Really Moreish Crispy Rostis

Serves 4 | Ready in 40 mins + cooling | 962kJ per serving | 11,5g fat | 7g sat fat

1. Put 650g waxy, unpeeled, whole potatoes in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 5 mins. Drain, and cool a little. Remove skins and coarsely grate potatoes, then spread out on a tray. Sprinkle with salt and leave for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
2. Press with a tea towel to absorb excess water. Season with pepper, then add 1 finely sliced onion and toss to combine. With lightly oiled hands, divide mixture into 8 patties about 1cm thick.
3. Heat ½ tsp oil and 50g butter in a heavy-based frying pan until foaming and fry rostis in batches over a low-medium heat for 6-8 mins on each side, until golden. Don’t turn them until the base is crisp, otherwise they’ll break up.

12. Oh-so-easy Homemade Chips

Serves 4-6 | Ready in 30 mins | 1 701 – 1 609 kJ per serving | 15-22g fat | 3-2g sat fat

1. Best made with floury potatoes. Cut 1 kg peeled potatoes into 2cm chips. Soak in cold water for 10 mins. Dry thoroughly.
2. Half-fill a deep, heavy-based pan with sunflower oil, and heat until a cube of white bread turns golden in 1 min. Add chips in batches, cooking for 6 minutes, until soft, not coloured. Drain them on kitchen paper.
3. Return chips to the pan and cook for 5-10 mins until golden.

This article was taken from the April 2010 edition of Essentials magazine.

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