Mike Devlin's Potato Possibilities DWC Weekly Issue 84

DWC Weekly · Issue 84 · Mike Devlin's Potato Possibilities

Hello, fellow food adventurers! Before we embark on a global culinary journey in search of unique potato dishes, let’s first take a moment to differentiate between the basic types of potatoes. As an experienced chef, I can tell you that understanding the various types of spuds will elevate your cooking. But trust me, I’m not about to list every single potato variety out there — after all, the world has over 4,000 varieties! I won’t be hunting down the elusive potato of outer Mongolia, but I’ll cover the essentials.

So, what are the key types of potatoes you’ll want to know? Well, they can generally be grouped into three main categories:

Waxy Potatoes

Waxy potatoes are the sturdy, dependable types that hold their shape well during cooking. When making a salad, you don’t want your potatoes to fall apart and turn into mush, right? This is where waxy potatoes come in handy. They have less starch and a firmer texture, so they’re perfect for dishes where you want your spuds to stay intact, such as potato salad (though I promise we won’t go down that salad rabbit hole here).

Some well-known waxy varieties include Red Bliss, Fingerling, and New Potatoes. Their smooth, thin skins and creamy flesh make them ideal for boiling, roasting, or even slicing thinly for gratins.

Starchy Potatoes

Now, starchy potatoes? Ah, these are the ones you want to turn to when you need comfort food. Think of them as the clingy best friends of the potato world — they love to stick together. Starchy varieties are high in, you guessed it, starch, which gives them that fluffy, light texture when cooked. They break down easily, making them perfect for mashing, baking, or frying.

The most famous starchy potato is, without a doubt, the Russet. These big, brown-skinned beauties are excellent for making crispy French fries or light-as-air mashed potatoes. But they’re not so great when you need your spuds to hold their shape, like in a stew or salad.

All-Rounder Potatoes

And finally, we have the all-rounder potatoes. These are the versatile workhorses of the potato family — the ones that do a bit of everything. They’re not the absolute best at any one thing, but they’ll get the job done no matter what. All-rounder potatoes have a balance of waxy and starchy characteristics, which makes them reliable for a variety of cooking methods.

The Yukon Gold is probably the most well-known all-rounder. Its golden flesh is buttery and rich, and it works equally well mashed, roasted, or boiled. So, when in doubt or when you’re dealing with unfamiliar recipes, an all-rounder potato is your safest bet.

To summarise, here’s what you need to remember when choosing your potatoes:

Waxy for dishes where the potatoes need to hold their shape (like boiled or roasted potatoes).

Starchy for mashing, frying, or any dish that requires soft, fluffy spuds.

All-Rounder when you want one potato that can do it all.

Now that you know your potato basics, grab your passport and let’s embark on our global potato journey!

The fifteen recipes

1. Mash 2. Roast Potatoes 3. Chips 4. Hash Browns 5. Dauphinoise 6. Hasselback 7. Fondant 8. Potato Cake 9. Gratin 10. Frittata 11. Duchess Potatoes 12. Potato & Apple Cake 13. Potato Skins 14. Papa a la Huancaína 15. Aloo Gobi

Each recipe sits in its own section, with the ingredients on the left and Mike's method on the right. Tick the ingredients off as you weigh them out, and switch to US cups if you prefer. Choose a recipe from the list above, or from the menu at the top of the page.

Before you pick up a peeler, three things worth knowing about the potato itself:

On buying potatoes

Avoid potatoes with green patches — that is solanine, a mildly toxic compound that develops when spuds are exposed to light. It will not kill you, but it is bitter and worth cutting away generously if you find it.

Firm is good. Soft, wrinkled, or sprouting means the potato is past its best — usable in a pinch for mash, but not for anything where texture matters.

On storing potatoes

Store potatoes somewhere cool, dark, and well ventilated — a paper bag in a cupboard is ideal. Do not store them in the fridge: the cold converts starch to sugar and affects both flavour and texture, particularly when frying.

Keep them away from onions, too. Both emit gases that accelerate spoilage in the other.

On salt in the water

Yes, always salt your boiling water. Potatoes absorb seasoning as they cook, so salting at the start — generously, more than feels comfortable — makes a real difference to the final flavour. Salting after the fact cannot replicate it.

Mike’s rule: The water should taste pleasantly of the sea. Not like brine, but not insipid either.

Mike Devlin

Chef · Author · Owner & Co-Founder, DWC Magazine

Mike Devlin is a chef with over 30 years of experience across England, Germany, and the USA. For the past decade he has also worked as a writer and author — his titles include Smith and Manchester City: The Secret History of a Club That Has No History, with two further books in progress.

When he is not in the kitchen or at his desk, Mike paints portraits, designs tattoos, sculpts, and watches a great deal of football and film. He is, in all probability, in the pub as you read this.

Mash

This is mash, I mean, how hard can it be? Boil some potatoes, then mash them. Even you can't make this special?

Yes, I hear you.

And you would be wrong.

Everything can be elevated if you know what you're doing, so allow me to guide you through an easy yet decadent way to make them, as you will see when you look at the list of things you need.

Prep

15 mins

Cook

25 mins

Oven

180°C / 350°F

Serves

Difficulty

Easy

Method

Boiled and sieved

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

1kg starchy potatoes2¼ lb starchy potatoes100ml double creamScant ½ cup heavy cream2 tbsp sour cream2 tbsp sour cream2 tsp English mustard2 tsp English mustard50g unsalted butter3½ tbsp unsalted butter1 whole bulb garlic1 whole bulb garlicSmall bunch fresh chivesSmall bunch fresh chives2 sprigs fresh rosemary2 sprigs fresh rosemarySalt and pepperSalt and pepper1 tbsp olive oil1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Step 1

Told ya. First, we start with not the potatoes. We have far more important things to do. Grab a bulb of garlic and simply slice the top off to expose the ends of the cloves; you won't need to take off too much.

Step 2

Place on a piece of foil and turn up the sides to make a bowl. Now liberally drizzle with olive oil and a nice bit of S&P all over it, then close it up, place it on a baking tray and put it in the oven for 25 minutes at 180°C / 350°F.

Step 3

Now we get to peeling the potatoes. Many recipes out there will say to use a silly amount, but we are being sensible here (for a change). So we will go with 1kg/2lb of them. Get 'em peeled and chopped up into small chunks and into a large pan they go with a good dose of salt and a couple of sprigs of rosemary. Cover with cold water, and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes until they are just about done.

Step 4

This is where it starts to get interesting, and we have to work quickly. No, ignore your phone unless you are following me, in which case I will be glad to have you.

Step 5

Remove the garlic, and we need to cool it enough to handle because we want three cloves, so grab them and get ready to squeeze them out.

Step 6

Drain the water from the pan, remove the rosemary, and put a nice chunk of unsalted butter in there, followed by a glug of cream, 2tbsps of sour cream, 2tsps of mustard, and three mushy cloves of garlic. With a masher, go at 'em vigorously. Try and get it as smooth as possible because it will help with the next step.

Step 7

Yeah, we haven't finished.

Step 8

If you don't have a potato ricer (many won't), use a large sieve. Place the sieve over a large bowl and put some of the potatoes in, and with a large spoon or sturdy spatula, begin to push it through. This will take some effort. Yes, I know it's going cold, don't worry about it, keep going.

Step 9

Once all is done, you will be left with a smooth mash. Now, finely chop up some fresh chives, add that, and mix to incorporate it. Give it a taste (as always), and season, or not, as you see fit.

Step 10

To reheat, simply place in the microwave in timed increments and stir each time to get a uniform heat.

There. Done. You did well. Proud of you.

Why the sieve?

Overworking potato with a masher or food processor ruptures the starch cells and releases a sticky, gluey substance. The sieve achieves silkiness through gentle pressure rather than mechanical force — the result is light and smooth rather than dense and gummy.

If you do not own a potato ricer, a large, sturdy sieve and a firm spatula achieve the same result. It is worth the effort every time.

On roasting the garlic first

Raw garlic in mash is sharp and aggressive. Roasted garlic is sweet, nutty, and mellow — it melts into the potato rather than fighting it. The 25-minute roast is not optional; it is what makes this mash worth talking about.

Quantity note: Three cloves from a roasted bulb is a starting point. If you love garlic, use five. The roasting takes the edge off, so you can afford to be generous.

On the mustard

English mustard has real heat and depth — it does not make the mash taste of mustard so much as it adds a quiet, savoury backbone that lifts everything else. French or wholegrain mustard work, but they are a different flavour profile. Start with English.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 4.

Energy

398 kcal

Fat

22.2g

Saturates

13.2g

Carbs

45.7g

Sugars

3.0g

Fibre

5.4g

Protein

6.2g

Salt

0.89g

Calculated from standard USDA values for each ingredient, using the amounts shown. Salt in the cooking water and oil left in the pan are left out; oil the potatoes absorb is counted. Your figures will vary with portion size and the brands you use.

Legend · Paris, 1780s

The guarded potato field

Antoine-Augustin Parmentier is said to have posted armed guards around a potato field near Paris with orders to let thieves get away, so Parisians would decide the crop was worth stealing. The documented part: Louis XVI granted him land at Sablons, and he presented the king and queen with a bouquet of potato flowers.

Kitchen Fact

A name on the menu

Parmentier’s name lives on in French cooking. Hachis Parmentier, potage Parmentier and pommes Parmentier are all named after him.

Record · The Chef of the Century

Robuchon’s mash

Joël Robuchon, once the most decorated chef in the Michelin Guide, made his name with a pomme purée that used roughly two parts potato to one part butter. It is still served at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon restaurants around the world.

Roast Potatoes

Next up is the beloved roasted potato, or as it is affectionately called, roasties. It is a staple for roasted dinners (possibly contractually obliged to be a part of the said meal), but to be honest, it goes with so many other things and can even be served on its own with the dip of choice; anything from tangy Ranch through to traditional meaty gravy. So let's do this properly, yes?

Prep

15 mins

Cook

About 55 mins

Oven

220°C / 425°F

Serves

Difficulty

Easy

Method

Parboiled and roasted

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

1kg all-rounder potatoes2¼ lb all-rounder potatoesSaltSalt3 garlic cloves3 garlic cloves2 sprigs fresh rosemary2 sprigs fresh rosemary2 tbsp semolina2 tbsp semolinaBeef dripping or duck fat, about 150gBeef dripping or duck fat, about ¾ cupSalt and pepperSalt and pepper

Method

Step 1

First up, the potatoes. We'll go with 1kg/2lb again, and yes, peel those suckers. We want decent-sized chunks, nothing fiddly and pathetic here, thank you very much. Place them all in a large pan, and add a good dose of salt, a couple of sprigs of rosemary, and 3 garlic cloves chopped in half (any smaller and you might lose bits later). Fill to cover with cold water and bring to a gentle simmer.

Step 2

In the meantime, get a large roasting pan and put your beef or duck fat in there — we need a good half-centimetre depth, so don't get your biggest pan, just one that's large enough to fit your spuds in.

Step 3

Place that into an oven at 220°C / 425°F and let it heat up. I guess you can go do something for 20 minutes (just don't forget about the potatoes).

Step 4

When done (a knife goes in nicely, but the potatoes are not breaking up), drain the water out, and fish out the rosemary, and — count them — six pieces of garlic; they're in there somewhere. Allow to steam dry after giving the pan a gentle shake to rough them up a little. There's no rush here.

Step 5

Now, the semolina. We only need a light dusting; we're not making some weird pudding. This will give a far superior crispiness to the finished dish. You will need to gently move the potatoes around so that all sides at least have some semolina on them. Finished? Splendid.

Step 6

Remove the roasting pan, and carefully put your potatoes into the hot fat. Coat the bits that have no oil on them with a spoon, and then back into the oven for 30 minutes.

Step 7

At this point, turn them over, sprinkle S&P on them, and then back in for another 10. Are they golden? Are they crisp to the touch? If so, we are done. If not, give them another 10 minutes.

Job done.

Bonus: make ahead

Once parboiled (the watery thingy), you can leave them be in a bowl or container for when you are ready to roast them; handy if you have other things that need to be done. It will last — covered — in the fridge for a couple of days before roasting.

An additional bonus

Wash your pan out with cold water, it'll be easier.

On the fat

Vegetable oil produces fine roast potatoes. Beef dripping or duck fat produces extraordinary ones. The animal fat has a higher smoke point and a deeper flavour, and it creates a shell around the potato that stays crisp far longer than oil-roasted versions.

Both are available in most supermarkets. A tin will last you several roasts. It is worth the investment.

The semolina trick

Semolina creates an ultra-thin, slightly rough coating on the surface of the parboiled potato. As it hits the hot fat, this coating sets almost instantly into a fine crust — far crispier and more durable than flour, and more textured than plain potato alone.

How much: Less than you think. A light, even dusting — not a coating. You are not making semolina pudding.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 4.

Energy

301 kcal

Fat

10.3g

Saturates

5.1g

Carbs

47.4g

Sugars

2.0g

Fibre

5.4g

Protein

5.6g

Salt

0.79g

Origin · Britain, 1800s

Younger than you think

Roast beef was a Sunday fixture long before the potato joined it. Roast potatoes only became a staple of the British diet in the early nineteenth century.

Kitchen Fact · 1834

An early recipe

One of the first published recipes for roast potatoes appears in The Housekeeper’s Guide of 1834.

Record · National Dish

On the national plate

National Geographic counts roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, vegetables and horseradish sauce as the national dish of England.

Chips

I am starting you off slowly, but already you have seen what you always considered to be simple, and yet I have added a little something extra that enhances the end product, and this one is no different. Still simple but effective.

We are doing the traditional British chip, not fries, so let's crack on.

Prep

20 mins

Cook

About 15 mins

Oil

130°C, then 170°C

Serves

Difficulty

More effort

Method

Twice fried

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

1kg starchy potatoes2¼ lb starchy potatoesAt least 2 litres oil. Lots of oil.At least 8½ cups oil. Lots of oil.SaltSaltMalt vinegarMalt vinegar

For the beer batter: plain flour, bicarb, and beer (no, not that one, a good beer).

Method

Step 1

Unless otherwise said, just presume it's always 1kg/2lb of potatoes. Peel them, and slice lengthways to about 1cm thick, and then 'chip' them 1cm wide. Place them as you go into a bowl of cold water. Don't throw the skins away, put them into another bowl of cold water.

Step 2

Whether you are using a fryer (why do they call it a deep fat fryer? We can see it's deep, we can see it's got fat in it, so what's the point? Where was I … oh, yeah), or a frying pan, we need the temperature to be around 130°C / 265°F. This will be easier when using a deep fryer because it has a gauge on it. If using just a pan, a thermometer will certainly help. When you have done this as many times as I have, you can use the water test — no! Don't do it, it's very dangerous! Anyhoo, we are looking at at least 2 litres of regular oil. Also, if a frying pan is used, make sure the oil level is nowhere near the top, we need a deep frying pan.

Step 3

Empty the water from your chips (it'll be cloudy) and refill again; this is the excess starch you can see. Give it a swirl with your hand, empty it, and pat dry with a towel to remove any excess water (dangerous, remember?).

Step 4

When the oil (yes, we have used a lot, haven't we?) has reached the right temperature, put all the chips into the oil and give them a shake/stir to prevent any sticking together. This part will take about 5–8 minutes, as we just want to cook them. Yes, they might pass the 'knife test', but they are still pale and insipid. However, this is exactly what we want. So after passing the test, remove them immediately from the oil.

Step 5

Now, turn up the heat to 170°C / 340°F. Upon reaching this, put the chips back in — the oil will go crazy! Immediately shake/stir to prevent sticking. This part will only take 2–3 minutes. This is the bit where we are goldening the outer part. Once golden and crisp, remove and place into a bowl lined with a kitchen towel to soak up the excess fat. Sprinkle with salt and a splash of malt vinegar, and you are good to go.

The perfect British chip.

Bonus: beer batter

Now we could cook for a third time, so turn the temperature down to 150°C / 300°F.

Grab a bowl and empty a good bit of plain flour into it and a couple of pinches of bicarb. Open your beer and pour some in with a whisk. Start, umm … whisking. Keep adding more beer, but slowly (I would get one of your kids to help pour it in; I am sure they won't try for a sneaky gulp of their own). We need a thickish consistency that coats the whisk nicely but doesn't cling onto it weirdly like your ex, who didn't want to let go. Drink the rest of the beer — that's if your kid hasn't beaten you to it — and throw some of your double-fried chips in. Don't do them all because this is going to get messy very quickly.

Carefully add them to the oil and immediately separate them with a spoon, spatula, or whatever. They will want to stick, which is why we don't do too many at once. When done, place in (yet) another bowl lined with a kitchen towel, and proceed with the next batch until complete — the floating bits of batter are nice, so scoop them out, too, and serve them.

Easy!

An additional bonus

Those peels I said save? You can fry them off as well and can do so at a low temperature. Great as a replacement for corn chips.

Why two fries?

The first fry, at a lower temperature, cooks the potato all the way through without colouring it. The second fry, at higher heat, rapidly dehydrates and crisps the outer surface. Attempting both in a single fry results in chips that are either raw in the centre or burnt on the outside. The two-stage method is not a preference — it is the technique.

On oil temperature

Temperature control is everything in frying. Too low and the chips absorb oil and go soggy. Too high and the outside burns before the inside is cooked. A kitchen thermometer is an inexpensive tool that removes the guesswork entirely.

Safety note: Never fill a frying pan more than half full with oil. Never leave hot oil unattended. Never use the water test to check temperature — it is genuinely dangerous.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 4.

Energy

325 kcal

Fat

15.2g

Saturates

1.2g

Carbs

43.8g

Sugars

2.0g

Fibre

5.2g

Protein

5.0g

Salt

1.04g

Origin · London and Lancashire, 1860s

The first chip shop

Two places claim the first fish and chip shop. Joseph Malin is said to have opened his in the East End of London around 1860, while John Lees sold fish and chips from a wooden hut on Mossley market, near Oldham, from about 1863. Historians still argue over who came first.

Legend · Namur, 1680

The frozen river

Belgian lore says fries began in Namur when the River Meuse froze in 1680 and villagers cut potatoes into the shape of the small fish they usually fried. Food historians point out that potatoes only reached the region in the 1730s, so the date at least is unlikely.

Kitchen Fact · Oldham, 1860

A plaque for a chip

A blue plaque at Tommyfield Market in Oldham marks it as the place where chips were first fried in England, in 1860.

Hash Browns

This is not to be confused with the quite similar Swedish Rösti; yes, they are both potato-based, but Röstis tend not to have eggs in them and are generally thicker and softer. I have nothing against you, Sweden, but we are doing Hash right now … I mean Hash Browns. Ahem.

Prep

25 mins

Cook

About 15 mins

Makes

About 10

Difficulty

Easy

Method

Pan-fried

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

1kg starchy potatoes2¼ lb starchy potatoesSalt and pepperSalt and pepper1 egg (told you)1 egg (told you)About 50g plain flourAbout ⅓ cup all-purpose flour½ large onion½ large onion1 tsp garlic powder1 tsp garlic powder30g unsalted butter, melted2 tbsp unsalted butter, meltedOil for fryingOil for frying

Method

Step 1

We are going to need a grater for this, so using the side with the largest holes, begin grating all your potatoes. Do you want to peel them first? That's entirely your choice. Do or do not. Once done, set it to one side. Now grate half a large onion using the same holes.

Step 2

Potatoes have a very high moisture content, and we have just made this worse by grating them — silly us — so we need to get rid of as much liquid as possible.

Step 3

Here, we have two choices: squeeze bits at a time by hand. This is very easy to do: grab a bit, squeeze a lot, put the drier potato in a bowl, and repeat.

Step 4

However, you may have weak wrists, so we must take the alternative path and use a large kitchen cloth/dish towel and place all the potatoes in it. Wrap it up lengthways and then twist each end in different directions (easier if you have two people doing this, sorry, I am busy), and keep twisting. You will start to see all the liquid exuding from the cloth.

Step 5

Whichever way you have done it, when finished, add the grated onion to it. Now a good pinch of S&P, a tsp of garlic powder, 1 egg, and a good knob of unsalted butter that you have melted in the microwave. Mix all of that.

Step 6

Looks a bit mushy, yes? Time for the plain flour to step in. Put a bit in — no, a bit more than that — and incorporate it. Does it still feel a bit mushy/sticky? Then a bit more plain flour, please. We want a consistency that you can easily handle, roll into a ball, and flatten without it falling apart. Have we done that? Awesome.

Step 7

Frying pan on a medium heat with some oil, and raise the temperature. Get some of your potatoes and roll into a ball, then flatten it out to about a centimetre thick. If it is too big or small, remove a bit/add a bit, and start again. Happy with the size? Okay, then, that's the size of the balls you want, so keep at it.

Step 8

Whilst you're doing this, get a small bit and put it in the frying pan to test it. If it's taking forever, raise the temp, similarly, if it sets on fire, screams, and then explodes, lower the temp.

Step 9

When all is done, and the pan is just right, start frying them off. Fit as many as you can whilst still being able to get your spatula in there to flip them over once golden underneath. Repeat with the other side, and then remove onto a plate lined with a kitchen towel, and then serve immediately.

Ooh, they do look good too.

On removing moisture

Hash browns fail for one reason: too much water in the potato. If moisture remains, the patty will steam rather than fry and will never achieve a proper crust. Do not rush the wringing stage. The drier the potato, the crisper the result.

Test: Squeeze a handful of grated potato over the sink. If liquid still runs out, it needs more wringing.

On flour quantity

The amount of plain flour needed depends on how much moisture you removed and how large your egg was. Start conservatively — add, incorporate, test the texture. The mixture should hold together cleanly when pressed but should not feel doughy or dense. This is feel, not measurement.

Rösti vs Hash Brown

A Rösti uses no egg, is typically thicker, and is often cooked as one large cake rather than individual patties. It has a softer, more yielding interior. A Hash Brown uses egg as a binder, is flatter, and aims for a crisper result throughout. Both are excellent. This recipe is the latter.

Nutrition per hash brown

Estimated, based on the batch making about 10.

Energy

154 kcal

Fat

6.1g

Saturates

2.0g

Carbs

22.3g

Sugars

1.2g

Fibre

2.4g

Protein

3.3g

Salt

0.24g

Origin · Boston, 1887

Hashed brown potatoes

The first known mention of hashed brown potatoes comes from the cookery writer Maria Parloa in the late 1880s. Her version was a fried mixture of cold boiled potatoes, folded like an omelette before serving.

Kitchen Fact · New York, 1890s

Hotel breakfast

Hashed brown potatoes were a fashionable breakfast dish in New York City in the 1890s, served in the finest hotels.

Origin · The Lunch Counter

Shortened to fit

The full name was gradually clipped. Hash brown potatoes is recorded from 1895, and plain hash browns from 1911, when it was lunch-counter slang.

Dauphinoise

For this one, we are off to France, and despite how luxurious this is, it is, in fact, a side dish. Them French, huh? It doesn't take long to prepare but does take a while to cook, and despite the French saying "Non!" we will be using some cheese.

Prep

25 mins

Cook

At least 1 hr

Oven

180°C / 350°F

Serves

Difficulty

Easy

Method

Layered and baked

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

1kg Maris Piper, Russet or Sebago potatoes2¼ lb Maris Piper, Russet or Sebago potatoes500ml single cream2 cups light cream200ml milkGenerous ¾ cup milkA third of a 250g block of unsalted butter (about 85g)6 tbsp unsalted butter1–2 garlic cloves1–2 garlic cloves3–4 stems fresh thyme3–4 stems fresh thymeAbout 100g grated cheese (Gruyère, Cheddar or similar)About 1 cup grated cheese (Gruyère, Cheddar or similar)Salt and white pepperSalt and white pepper

Method

Step 1

We will begin with setting the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Now we need a good baking dish — you know the ones I mean — look at all those potatoes, they've all got to fit in there plus everything else.

Step 2

Grab a third of a block of unsalted butter and put it in a bowl. Now grab your one or two garlic cloves (your choice), finely dice them up, and put them in the bowl with the unsalted butter. Place in the microwave for 10 seconds (even this may be too long), as we want it soft but not melted. Mix the two together. If your unsalted butter lives outside of the fridge (and it should unless it's stupidly hot in your kitchen), just mix the garlic in there and then.

Step 3

With about ¾ of it, rub all over the baking dish: bottom and sides.

Step 4

Now peel the potatoes and slice thinly, and I do mean thinly and uniformly. If you have a long potato knife, cut down the length, not the width. If it is big and chunky, cut it in half and then slice. If you have a mandolin (this is probably the only thing in a kitchen that terrifies chefs), set it to 3mm (⅛" for those in the USA). If cutting by hand, take your time. If you accidentally cut one at 5 or 6mm, you can't use it. Every slice must be of the same thinness, for if not, it won't cook uniformly.

Step 5

Mix 500ml of cream, 200ml of milk, a good pinch of salt and pepper (white pepper is better here, as you won't get black specks), and your thyme. You have to be fresh and use about 3–4 stems. Strip the leaves off and finely chop them up before adding. Mix it all together.

Step 6

Grate some cheese. Ah, but which cheese? To be honest, it doesn't matter, so long as it isn't all overpowering. If you insist on using mozzarella, add some Parmesan for flavour. Gruyère, cheddar, that sort of thing. Probably need about 100g, but we'll see how we go.

Step 7

Place a layer of potato down on the bottom of the dish, each one slightly overlapping the other. Once that layer is done, pour some cream mixture over them, then a sprinkling of grated cheese (we grate our own because it will melt better than pre-grated, as that has cornstarch on it to prevent clogging).

Step 8

Now repeat with the next layer, then cream, then cheese. You got this. Keep going. Need more cheese? Better grate some more then, no? What we don't want, however, is cheese on the top.

Step 9

With both hands, gently push down on the potatoes to remove any spaces. With the remaining unsalted butter, add small bits here and there on top.

Step 10

Cover with foil and place in the oven. This will take a good hour, if not longer. The potatoes need to be soft, so test them in several places. If you wish to brown the top, then towards the end, remove the foil.

Step 11

It may seem a little wet, but it will set as it cools a little. Once you can remove some with a spoon without it going everywhere, you are good to serve it.

Step 12

It can be transferred (once cold) to the fridge — covered for up to 3 days — and can be warmed up in the oven in 20 minutes.

Not bad, huh?

On slicing uniformly

If some slices are 3 mm and others are 6 mm, the thinner ones will overcook and dissolve while the thicker ones remain firm. The dish requires uniform slicing to cook as one. A mandolin is the simplest tool for this — set to 3 mm and work carefully.

Safety: A mandolin is possibly the most dangerous tool in a domestic kitchen. Always use the hand guard. Always.

On cheese choice

Avoid anything too overpowering — strong blue cheeses will dominate the dish completely. Gruyère is the classic choice: nutty, mellow, and it melts beautifully. Cheddar is a fine everyday alternative.

On white pepper

White pepper and black pepper taste similar in this context, but white pepper leaves no dark flecks in your cream. In a pale, elegant dish like dauphinoise, the difference is purely aesthetic — but worth caring about.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 6.

Energy

485 kcal

Fat

34.4g

Saturates

21.2g

Carbs

34.3g

Sugars

6.2g

Fibre

3.5g

Protein

11.9g

Salt

0.86g

Origin · Dauphiné, 12 July 1788

A dish with a birthday

The first recorded mention of gratin dauphinois is a dinner on 12 July 1788, given by the Duke of Clermont-Tonnerre, lieutenant-general of the Dauphiné, for municipal officials from the town of Gap.

Kitchen Fact

The cheese question

By tradition, gratin dauphinois contains no cheese. Purists say that adding it turns the dish into a gratin savoyard.

Kitchen Fact

The rebels

Many famous cooks ignored the purists. Recipes from Auguste Escoffier, Robert Carrier and Constance Spry all call for cheese, so Mike is in good company.

Hasselback

You have seen these, no doubt (potatoes with slits at least 75% of the way through), but they are not as fiddly as you may think, especially if I simplify the way to get going with them.

I would say the hardest part is finding potatoes of equal size, not too big, not too small, and rugby/US football/torpedo-shaped.

Prep

25 mins

Cook

About 1 hr

Oven

180°C / 350°F

Serves

Difficulty

More effort

Method

Sliced and roasted

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

8 equal-sized all-rounder potatoes (2 per person)8 equal-sized all-rounder potatoes (2 per person)2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil2 tbsp olive or canola oilFlaked salt (Kosher or similar)Flaked salt (kosher or similar)60g unsalted butter4 tbsp unsalted butter3–4 garlic cloves3–4 garlic clovesFresh herbs — thyme, rosemary, sage, or a mixFresh herbs — thyme, rosemary, sage, or a mixSalt and pepperSalt and pepper

Method

Step 1

You got potatoes, but are they the right ones? Hasselbacks insist on all being the same; it doesn't matter if they are big, small, or somewhere in between, they just have to be of the same size.

Step 2

So I guess you'll be either sorting through the ones you have or heading to the grocery store and rummaging through the potato section like a mad, crazy person.

Step 3

Got some? As a general rule, you'll want two per person. Now, we must slice (almost) through them, and for this, we have a couple of options:

Step 4

Get two wooden spoons of equal size, and lay both down each lengthways down the potato. Holding the spoon handles and potato together, begin to cut 3mm apart slices. Take your time; there is no rush here. Your average potato with this could have as many as 20 slices. Repeat with all of them. Or …

Step 5

Get two skewers and push each one through (lengthways) near the bottom, make sure the skewers are level — always leave at least 25% of the potato uncut at the bottom. Now, you only need to hold the potato to slice through it. Again, 3mm apart. Once done, remove the skewers and go to the rest.

Step 6

Ugh, you've invited eight people round, haven't you, and are now regretting deciding to do these things — that'll teach ya. It'll be worth it.

Step 7

Once they are all — finally! — done, place on a baking tray and liberally douse in oil, and then salt (preferably Kosher or such like).

Step 8

Place in a 180°C / 350°F pre-heated oven, for about 40 minutes. I say 'about' because I have absolutely no clue how big these things are of yours you've done. My advice is to keep checking on them, by sticking a toothpick in them near the base.

Step 9

Once done, they are going to come out, and we can finish them off. Grab a nice chunk of unsalted butter, and with 3–4 cloves of smashed/smushed garlic, chopped up fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, a mix, your choice), and some S&P, and throw it all into the unsalted butter.

Step 10

Gently melt it in the microwave and brush/pour all over the potatoes, and back in the oven they go for about 20 minutes (again, depends upon the size).

Remove, and you are good to serve them up. Pain? Yes? Look great, smell great, and taste great? Undoubtedly.

On uniform sizing

Hasselbacks of different sizes will not cook in the same time. Smaller ones will be done — and potentially drying out — while larger ones are still firm in the centre. Sort through your potatoes before you start and work with a matching set.

The wooden spoon method

The wooden spoon handles act as rails — they stop the knife at a consistent depth, ensuring you never cut all the way through. Keep the spoon handles flat against the chopping board and hold the potato and handles together firmly with your free hand. Work slowly.

On the herb butter

Applying the unsalted butter after the initial roast rather than at the start means it goes into the cuts of an already-fanned potato, running into every channel. The final 20 minutes is what transforms a good Hasselback into a great one.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 4.

Energy

409 kcal

Fat

20.0g

Saturates

8.8g

Carbs

53.5g

Sugars

2.4g

Fibre

6.4g

Protein

6.3g

Salt

1.30g

Origin · Stockholm

A hazel slope

The dish takes its name from the Hasselbacken restaurant on Djurgården in Stockholm. Hasselbacken means hazel slope in Swedish, after the hazel trees on the hill where it stood.

Origin · 1953

The trainee chef

Leif Elisson, a trainee chef from Värmland at the restaurant’s cookery school, is usually credited with creating the dish in 1953. Some historians point to an earlier recipe in a 1929 cookbook, so the credit is still debated.

Kitchen Fact

Still on the menu

Hasselback potatoes remain a permanent fixture on the menu at Hasselbacken, where the restaurant says they were first made.

Fondant

I am going to say that these are French, which probably means they are very nice (they are) but also a bit fiddly (oh, yes, they are). But as always, here in the DWC kitchen, I will guide you through the process with as little fuss as possible, and then you can wow your family and friends.

Prep

20 mins

Cook

About 45 mins

Oven

180°C / 350°F

Serves

Difficulty

More effort

Method

Seared and braised

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

8 equal-sized all-rounder potatoes (2 per person)8 equal-sized all-rounder potatoes (2 per person)OilOilKosher or flaked saltKosher or flaked salt60g unsalted butter4 tbsp unsalted butter2 sprigs fresh rosemary2 sprigs fresh rosemary2 garlic cloves, smashed2 garlic cloves, smashed250ml chicken or vegetable stock (keep extra nearby)1 cup chicken or vegetable stock (keep extra nearby)

Method

Step 1

Remember the Hasselbacks? Are potatoes all the same size? Sorry, but we are doing that again. Ideally, they shouldn't be too big. Otherwise, we'll be here all day, and I have things to do (I don't, I just want to go to the pub, and you're buying).

Step 2

Again, two per person is the general rule. Cut the ends off each potato (no, not a little bit; we need a fair bit exposed) so that they all stand up straight. If, for some reason, you are doing a lot of these, it'll be best to do them one at a time and place them in cold water.

Step 3

When they have been topped and tailed, start to shave the sides so that we have a tall cylindrical shape (off-cuts can be used in stews and gravy; don't waste food!). Repeat with all of them.

Step 4

Get an oven-proof pan (usually cast iron), and heat some oil on a medium-low heat. If your potatoes have been in water, they'll need drying off. Irrespective, sprinkle some Kosher salt on them before they go in the pan. Also, set your oven to 180°C / 350°F.

Step 5

We want the top and tails golden brown, so place them all stood up; each end will take at least 5 minutes; you may need to shuffle them about to prevent sticking. When golden, turn over and repeat.

Step 6

When done, throw in a clump (yes, 'clump', it's a technical word) of unsalted butter, two smashed garlic cloves (no need to chop them up, just smash until obliterated), and a couple of sprigs of rosemary. As the unsalted butter melts, we will baste the potatoes with everything we just added. Repeat this for a couple of minutes.

Step 7

Meanwhile, make 250ml of chicken stock — this is why we have used unsalted butter — or, if you must, vegetable stock and pour that into the pan. And into the oven, it goes.

Step 8

Depending on your potatoes, it should only take 30 minutes, as the spuds will soak up everything in the pan. If the potatoes are a tad too big, this will take longer and may even require more stock, so don't put it away just yet.

Eventually, though, your fondant potatoes will be ready to serve — they'll look nice with a sprig of rosemary on top.

Why unsalted butter?

Chicken stock contains salt. If you add salted butter on top, the dish can quickly become over-seasoned, particularly as the liquid reduces and concentrates. Unsalted butter gives you control. Season the potatoes themselves, season the stock if needed, and taste as you go.

On browning the ends

The golden, caramelised ends are the signature of a proper fondant potato — the textural and flavour contrast to the soft, stock-soaked interior. Five minutes minimum per end is a starting point, not a ceiling. Pale fondant potatoes are a missed opportunity.

On the stock

The amount of stock a potato absorbs depends on its size and starch content. Some will drink up the 250 ml and still be undercooked; others will be done before the liquid is gone. Keep the carton close and top up the pan if it looks dry before the potatoes are fully tender.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 4.

Energy

299 kcal

Fat

16.2g

Saturates

8.1g

Carbs

35.3g

Sugars

1.7g

Fibre

4.2g

Protein

4.5g

Salt

1.07g

Kitchen Fact

Melting potatoes

Pommes fondantes means melting potatoes, from the French verb fondre, to melt. The name describes the soft, stock-soaked middle.

Origin · Paris, 1903

Escoffier’s olives

Auguste Escoffier included pommes de terre fondantes in Le Guide Culinaire in 1903. His version trimmed the potatoes into large elongated olive shapes of about 90 grams, where most cooks today cut cylinders.

Record · Le Guide Culinaire

Fifty ways with a potato

Escoffier treated the potato with great respect. Le Guide Culinaire lists more than fifty potato preparations, more than for any other vegetable or starch.

Potato Cake

No, sorry, not a cake, but these things are made worldwide and are known by different names. We will make something that pairs well with sausages (I guess you could have them with sour cream). Bonus! You can use leftover mash! Save yourself from making more.

Prep

20 mins

Cook

About 35 mins

Makes

About 12

Difficulty

Easy

Method

Pan-fried

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

1kg starchy potatoes (or leftover mash)2¼ lb starchy potatoes (or leftover mash)4 rashers bacon4 slices bacon1 egg1 eggSplash of milkSplash of milkAbout 60g plain flourAbout ½ cup all-purpose flour30g unsalted butter2 tbsp unsalted butter4 spring onions4 scallions1 tsp garlic powder1 tsp garlic powderSalt and pepperSalt and pepperOil for fryingOil for frying

Method

Step 1

Do you have leftover mash? If so, ignore the next bit (but if it is looking dry, put some unsalted butter in a bowl, into the microwave, melt, add a splash of milk, and mix that through).

Step 2

If not, peel, chop, and add to a pan of cold water with a good dose of salt, and simmer until cooked. Add a clump of unsalted butter, a splash of milk, and some S&P, and have at it.

Step 3

Place a few rashers of bacon in a frying pan, and cook them off, then remove to cool so that you can cut it all up. Don't clean the pan!

Step 4

Chop up the onions, but avoid the white bits as they can be a little harsh (we're not cooking them, just exposing them to heat).

Step 5

Put the mash in a bowl and drop an egg into it, stirring it. Seems a bit sloppy, yes? That's where the plain flour comes in. Add a bit and mix it in — we want a firm potato mixture, so if it needs a little more, add a little more. Don't forget your S&P and garlic powder (all to taste).

Step 6

Now add your chopped-up bacon and onion. And, yup, another good mix.

Step 7

Put the heat back on medium-low (oddly, this is higher than low-medium; it's a thing, I don't know) with a little oil. Form a ball of potato in your hands and then flatten it out to about a centimetre thick (a very light dusting of plain flour may help you here; no need to roll out, just use your hands), and add to the pan. Can you get more in? Then please do so.

Step 8

When golden brown, flip over to do the other side. Repeat with all until done.

Guess you can serve them now.

Bonus

If you wanted, you could add cheese, ham, jalapeños, mushroom, in fact, anything you like; just don't overload it because it should primarily be potato.

On leftover mash

Day-old mash is actually ideal for potato cakes — it is drier and firmer than freshly made mash, which means it needs less flour to bind and holds its shape better during frying. If the leftover mash looks dry, loosen it with a little melted unsalted butter and a splash of milk before using.

On medium-low heat

Too high and the outside chars before the inside warms through. Too low and the cake takes forever and absorbs excess oil. The cake should sizzle steadily when it goes in and develop a golden crust in three to four minutes.

On the egg

The egg acts as a binder in this recipe. It helps the potato cake hold together during frying. If the mixture still feels too loose after adding the egg, plain flour is your friend — add it gradually and test the texture rather than adding a fixed amount.

Nutrition per potato cake

Estimated, based on the batch making about 12.

Energy

144 kcal

Fat

5.8g

Saturates

2.1g

Carbs

19.2g

Sugars

1.0g

Fibre

2.0g

Protein

4.2g

Salt

0.35g

In the News · Australia

Cake, scallop or fritter?

Australia cannot agree on what to call a fried potato snack. In a YouGov poll, 74 per cent of Victorians said potato cake and 74 per cent of New South Wales said potato scallop, while South Australians preferred potato fritter.

In the News · 2023

McDonald’s picks a side

When McDonald’s Australia added potato scallops to its menu, the name reignited the argument right across the state lines.

In the News · 2022

Even the election officials

The Australian Electoral Commission, usually strictly neutral, weighed in on social media in March 2022. Its team came from both sides of the line, it said, before declaring for cakes.

Gratin

Gratin (or 'au gratin') refers to basically any dish topped with cheese and butter and browned off. But seeing as though we are focusing on potatoes, we'll stick with that (toast au gratin, give me a break).

It's a bit like dauphinoise, but different. It's fine, we'll get there.

Prep

25 mins

Infuse

1 hr

Cook

1 hr 20 mins

Oven

180°C / 350°F

Serves

Difficulty

Easy

Method

Layered and baked

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

1kg starchy potatoes (no need to peel)2¼ lb starchy potatoes (no need to peel)1 medium onion1 medium onionA pinch of ground fennelA pinch of ground fennelSalt and pepperSalt and pepper500ml double cream2 cups heavy cream250ml full-fat milk1 cup whole milk25g unsalted butter, for the dish2 tbsp unsalted butter, for the dish3 garlic cloves, smashed3 garlic cloves, smashed100g grated Gruyère (plus extra for topping)1 cup grated Gruyère (plus extra for topping)75g Mozzarella and 75g Cheddar, for the top layer¾ cup Mozzarella and ¾ cup Cheddar, for the top layerParmesan for servingParmesan for serving

Method

Step 1

First up, get yourself a small pan and put 500ml of cream, 250ml of full-fat milk, three smashed-up garlic cloves, S&P, and a pinch of fennel, and bring to a boil. Immediately take off the heat and cover it. We can ignore this for an hour — we want it to absorb the flavours.

Step 2

After about 45 minutes, slice (no need to peel) the potatoes to a maximum of 3mm thick. Yes, all of them, please. Now dice up your onion. You could use shallots here, in which case you will probably need four.

Step 3

Get some unsalted butter and grease your baking dish, and then begin to lay out your potatoes to cover the bottom. Depending upon the size of your dish, you may have just two or maybe three layers; it does not matter. Then, throw some of your onion on top of the potato, spreading them around.

Step 4

Return the cream to the stove, and after removing the garlic bits, bring it back to a simmer and add the cheese of choice. I would suggest something like Gruyère that has a wonderfully nutty taste to it.

Step 5

We want a fair bit, but we are not going cheese crazy here! Just melt the cheese into the cream (constant stir); it still needs to be pourable; too much cheese will turn it into a gloopy mess.

Step 6

Now, pour some of this over the potatoes and onions. Looking at how many potatoes you have left will indicate how many layers you are doing, meaning you know how much of the onion and sauce you have remaining. We want to use it all, and yes, the sauce goes on top.

Step 7

Layer with more/the rest of your potatoes, then the onion, then the sauce. Cover it with foil, and place in a preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F for 1 hour.

Step 8

Afterwards, uncover and add the cheese of your choice. You could go with more Gruyère, or you could put Mozzarella and Cheddar mix on top. Back in the oven (uncovered) for 20 minutes.

Step 9

The cheese should have melted, and there should be golden edges. To serve, grate some Parmesan on top.

So. Much. Cheese.

Gratin vs Dauphinoise

Dauphinoise layers cream and garlic directly with the potato, relying on the potato itself to thicken the cream as it cooks. Gratin uses a separate infused cream sauce thickened with melted cheese before it goes into the dish. The result is richer and more set, with a more pronounced cheesy flavour throughout.

On infusing the cream

Bringing the cream to a boil with the garlic and fennel and then leaving it to steep for an hour draws the flavour compounds out of the aromatics far more thoroughly than combining them cold. The garlic becomes mellow and sweet rather than sharp. Do not skip this stage.

On cheese quantity

In the sauce, the cheese needs to be enough to flavour it without making it so thick it will not pour. The top layer is where you can be more generous — this is what creates the golden, bubbling crust that makes the dish.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 6.

Energy

647 kcal

Fat

48.4g

Saturates

30.2g

Carbs

36.5g

Sugars

7.2g

Fibre

3.9g

Protein

18.9g

Salt

1.26g

Origin · France

Named for the scrapings

Gratin comes from the French gratter, to scrape. The name first referred to the crust left in the dish, which had to be scraped out.

Kitchen Fact

The upper crust

In French, le gratin also means high society, the same idea as the English phrase upper crust.

Origin · 1806

Into English

Merriam-Webster dates the first known use of gratin in English to 1806.

Frittata

The beauty of this Italian dish is that it lends itself to allow you to do pretty much anything you want with it, and who doesn't like that? No parameters, no pointy finger pointing, just you, potatoes, eggs, and your imagination.

However, before we get to imagining all your hopes and dreams coming true, we need to get the bare basics down first, and then, I promise, you can go off and play.

Prep

15 mins

Cook

About 35 mins

Oven

180°C / 350°F

Serves

Difficulty

Easy

Method

Parboiled and baked

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

About 400g waxy potatoesAbout 14 oz waxy potatoes6 eggs6 eggs120ml milk (20ml per egg)½ cup milk (4 tsp per egg)Salt and pepperSalt and pepper2 garlic cloves, finely diced2 garlic cloves, finely dicedOil for the panOil for the pan

Method

Step 1

The potatoes simply need to be peeled, and then diced into small cubes (the size of a die but no smaller), and thrown into cold salted water, brought to a boil, and cooked until just about done, but no further than that. Drain and set aside in a cast iron pan.

Step 2

Right, that's the base. So we will just do this for now, and then we can play (I promise!). We need a cast iron frying pan, because this will allow you to change it up as you will soon see.

Step 3

Whisk 6 eggs, and 120ml of milk in a bowl (or more if your cast iron pan is huge). So if using 8 eggs, you would need 160ml (20ml/egg. Ooh, we did basic math!). However, we don't need to use full fat milk (well, I mean I will, because you do want that silkiness), because you can use low-fat, or oat milk, or almond milk, it doesn't matter (it does).

Step 4

Anyway, add S&P, 2 diced garlic cloves, and give it a thorough mix. Pour into that well-oiled pan that is already housing your parboiled potatoes, and bake off at 180°C / 350°F until springy and golden. Remember the pan retains heat so take out just before it is done.

Step 5

Now then. PLAY TIME!

Step 6

As nice as the above is we can do so many things. How does asparagus, chestnut mushrooms, and mixed herbs sound? How about blue cheese and bacon? Or even a three cheese, red onion, and spinach?

Step 7

What we need to do here is pan fry (to al dente — just about done but not quite, essentially) off things that need it: asparagus, spinach, broccoli, onions, bacon, etc, and then arrange them in the pan to cover the bottom alongside the parboiled potatoes, and then carefully pour in the egg mixture. The egg will immediately start cooking so do not touch it! We are making frittata here, not scrambled egg. Cook as I described above.

On the cast-iron pan

A cast-iron pan distributes heat evenly and retains it exceptionally well — this means the frittata cooks from the bottom on the hob and from all directions in the oven, setting evenly without a rubbery base or an undercooked centre. Check that your pan can go into a hot oven before using it.

The al dente rule

Any ingredient that goes into the egg mixture needs to be mostly cooked before the egg is poured over it. The egg sets quickly in the oven — there is not enough time or moisture for raw or dense ingredients to cook through. Anything watery should be sautéed until its moisture has evaporated.

Do not stir after pouring

A frittata is defined by its uniform, set texture throughout. Once the egg goes in, it needs to be left alone. Stirring creates curds — which is scrambled egg, not frittata. Resist the urge to poke, stir, or move it. Into the oven it goes, and you wait.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 4.

Energy

227 kcal

Fat

10.8g

Saturates

3.3g

Carbs

20.0g

Sugars

2.6g

Fibre

2.1g

Protein

12.5g

Salt

0.82g

Origin · Italy

Simply fried

Frittata comes from the Italian friggere, to fry. It began as a general word for eggs cooked in a pan, anywhere from a fried egg to an omelette.

Origin · Naples

Pasta in the pan

Naples claims the frittata as its own. The local favourite is made with leftover spaghetti, and its creation is held up there as a stroke of Neapolitan genius.

Kitchen Fact · The 1950s

Just an omelette

Outside Italy, cooks treated frittata as simply another word for omelette until at least the mid-1950s.

Duchess Potatoes

Very similar to mashed potato, but not really. These need to be stiffer than regular ol' mash, but the basic preparation is the same. However, we need the use of a piping bag — duh, duh, duh!

Yes, I know that the mere mention of 'piping' makes many run to the hills, but what we are doing here is the very bare basics of what constitutes to be classed as piping.

As always, I have got you, so let's step into the DWC kitchen.

Prep

30 mins

Cook

About 15 mins

Oven

200°C / 400°F

Serves

Difficulty

More effort

Method

Piped and baked

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

1kg floury potatoes2¼ lb floury potatoes2 eggs, beaten2 eggs, beaten50g unsalted butter, melted3½ tbsp unsalted butter, meltedSalt and pepperSalt and pepper

Method

Step 1

Peel and dice up your potatoes — so many potatoes! Place them in a salted pan of cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer until done. I think you know what you're doing by now.

Step 2

Once done, drain and allow to air dry. Now, mash them up well. We may need to go down that arduous path of putting them through a sieve because we need them as smooth as possible. Grab two eggs and beat them. Melt 50g of unsalted butter and whisk that into the eggs, along with a good pinch of S&P.

Step 3

Once your mash is smooth, thoroughly mix through your egg mixture. Whilst this is going on, pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F, and get a baking tray lined with parchment ready.

Step 4

Now comes the bit we have all been waiting for. We need a large piping bag and a large star nozzle; you can buy these things anywhere (well, obviously not at a shoe store).

Step 5

Fill it to ¾ full, and twist the top so you have sealed it. Holding the twisted top in one hand, squeeze with the other to create a dome shape about 5cm high. If that is too difficult (I won't be asking you to do rosettes or knots), then pipe in a straight line about 10cm long. Repeat this until the baking tray is full.

Step 6

Stick in the oven for about 15 minutes until golden. You could sprinkle some very finely grated cheese on top before going in or carefully brush a beaten egg on them. Your choice.

Step 7

When they come out, slide the sheet off the tray, replace it, and repeat. You will want to clean the bag out immediately with cold water.

Step 8

To serve, sprinkle some salt, and perhaps add chopped chives or grated Parmesan.

See? That wasn't so bad, was it?

On piping confidence

Practise your pressure on a plate first — you are looking for a consistent squeeze that produces a steady flow. The nozzle does the shaping work; your job is to squeeze evenly and stop cleanly. A dome or a straight line are both fine. Perfection is not the goal — consistency is.

Why stiffer than mash?

Regular mash is soft enough to collapse under its own weight. Duchess potatoes need to hold the shape that comes out of the nozzle and survive being baked. The egg and unsalted butter mixture, combined with a drier mash than usual, provides the structure needed.

On the star nozzle

A star nozzle creates a ridged surface on the piped potato, which catches the heat in the oven and produces more points of crispness and browning than a smooth surface would. It also looks considerably more elegant.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 6.

Energy

212 kcal

Fat

8.5g

Saturates

4.8g

Carbs

29.3g

Sugars

1.4g

Fibre

3.5g

Protein

5.5g

Salt

0.59g

Origin · France, 1746

The first recipe

The first known recipe appeared in La Nouvelle Cuisinière Bourgeoise in 1746.

Kitchen Fact

Which duchess?

No particular duchess has ever been identified. The phrase à la duchesse became a French kitchen label for any dish made with a mash of potato and egg yolk.

Kitchen Fact

The family tree

Duchess mixture is a parent recipe. Combine it with choux pastry and fry it, and you have pommes dauphine.

Potato & Apple Cake

This one I was fed with as a kid; it was simple, incredibly cheap, and a way to get nutrients in my face. It was my mother's recipe — no idea where she got it from — but let's see what I can do with it. I would say, though, that its roots are Irish.

Yes, yes, it is kind of a dessert, but then it isn't. Your young kids will love it (you might, too).

Prep

30 mins

Cook

About 30 mins

Oven

200°C / 400°F

Serves

Difficulty

More effort

Method

Filled and baked

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

500g floury potatoes1 lb 2 oz floury potatoes2 eating apples (not cooking apples)2 eating apples (not cooking apples)About 85g plain flourAbout &frac23; cup all-purpose flour40g brown sugar, plus extra for dusting3 tbsp packed brown sugar, plus extra for dustingCinnamonCinnamonA pinch of saltA pinch of saltA pinch of baking sodaA pinch of baking soda50g unsalted butter3½ tbsp unsalted butterEgg wash (1 beaten egg)Egg wash (1 beaten egg)A splash of lemon juiceA splash of lemon juice

Method

Step 1

We will go with 500g/1lb of potatoes — we don't want this too big (do we?), and besides, making a smaller one allows you two different cooking methods, which we will get to at some point (obviously, we will have to).

Step 2

Peel and chop up smallish, and, yes, you know the drill: cold water to cover, salt, and cook until done. Exciting stuff, huh?

Step 3

Peel, core, and slice up two apples (no, not cooking apples. Otherwise, we will have to go through the rigmarole of cooking them), and put them in water with a splash of lemon juice to stop them from browning whilst we await our potatoes.

Step 4

When the spuds are done, drain and allow to air dry. Throw in 50g of unsalted butter, a good pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of baking soda, and 40g of sugar. Give it a good mash until it is nice and smooth. Don't worry about it cooling down; we need it to.

Step 5

Empty into a bowl and add about 85g of plain flour. Now, I know this is sort of baking, and measurements should be exacting, but you might find you need slightly less or more, so my advice to you, dear chef, is to add most of it and see what happens once you have incorporated it all in. We need a dough-like texture, not crumbly, not sticky. Hence, you might need to add more or not use it all.

Step 6

(You can drain your apples now and pat them dry.)

Step 7

Divide the dough in half, and on a floured surface, roll it out to a circle — roll, then turn it 45°, roll, turn, repeat — if it starts to stick, use a bit more plain flour. We don't want it too thick or too thin, I dunno, maybe ½cm.

Step 8

Sprinkle some brown sugar and a little cinnamon on the apple slices, tossing them so they are covered, and then place them on your potato dough, but leave an uncovered edge all the way around.

Step 9

Roll out the other half but ever so slightly larger. When done, place on top, and pinch/blend/mould the top to the bottom. You can now wash the top with egg wash, maybe even a little dusting of sugar.

Step 10

Option 1: The oven. If so, place parchment on a tray and in the oven at 200°C / 400°F for about 30 minutes.

Step 11

Option 2: Cast iron frying pan. If you do it this way, keep the heat low. Using two large flat spatulas, lift and flip the egg-wash side down in the pan. Cook until golden. Now you have to flip it. If you trust yourself — and you should, I know I do — just flip it with a spatula. If you don't, get a large plate, place it over the pan, hold it steady, and turn the pan over, then just slide it back into the pan. It should take about 15 minutes on each side. When done, flip over onto a plate — you egg-washed, remember?

Serve with ice cream or cream.

On cooking apple vs eating apple

Cooking apples — Bramley, for example — are very tart and high in moisture. They need to be cooked separately and sweetened before using, or the raw slices will be too sour and the moisture will make the dough soggy. Eating apples — Cox, Braeburn, Golden Delicious — are sweet enough to use raw and hold their shape better during cooking.

On the dough texture

The flour quantity is approximate because potato moisture content varies. Add most of the flour, incorporate it fully, and then assess — the dough should feel like short pastry: firm, not sticky, pliable without crumbling. If it clings to your hands, add a little more flour.

The pan-fry method

Pan-frying produces a darker, slightly crispier exterior. The oven produces a more even result with a lighter crust. Both are equally valid — the pan method is faster and requires more attention; the oven method is more forgiving.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 6.

Energy

236 kcal

Fat

7.5g

Saturates

4.5g

Carbs

39.8g

Sugars

13.2g

Fibre

3.4g

Protein

3.9g

Salt

0.15g

Origin · County Armagh

A Halloween dish

Mike’s mother was right about Ireland. Potato apple cake is a version of fadge, and County Armagh, known for its orchards, traditionally ate it at Halloween.

Kitchen Fact · Ireland

A meatless feast

Traditional Irish Halloween foods contain no meat. Once Samhain merged with All Hallows’ Eve, the day before All Saints’ Day became one of preparation and fasting.

Legend · Ireland

Pick before Samhain

Irish folklore held that apples should be gathered before Halloween, because the púca, a shape-shifting fairy, would spit on any left on the trees.

Potato Skins

You may have seen these things in a restaurant, and they are always served as a starter: 4 or so small potato things — albeit quite tasty — served to you whilst you're waiting for your steak/lasagne/salad/whatever. Little fiddly bites that are gone as soon as they are put in front of you.

Well, I say no more! Here in the DWC kitchen, we are going to do away with 'quite tasty' and 'fiddly', and we will go to town on them. Who's with me?

Prep

25 mins

Cook

About 1 hr 25 mins

Oven

200°C / 400°F, then 180°C / 350°F

Serves

Difficulty

Easy

Method

Baked twice

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

4 large starchy potatoes (1 per person, so 2 halves each)4 large starchy potatoes (1 per person, so 2 halves each)About 160g grated cheese — Mozzarella and a medium-strong varietyAbout 1&frac23; cups grated cheese — Mozzarella and a medium-strong varietyAbout 150g bacon or bacon lardonsAbout 5 oz bacon or bacon lardons150g chestnut mushrooms, diced5 oz cremini mushrooms, dicedSour cream — at least 1 tbsp per potatoSour cream — at least 1 tbsp per potato1 whole bulb garlic, to roast1 whole bulb garlic, to roast40g unsalted butter3 tbsp unsalted butterFresh chives, choppedFresh chives, choppedOilOilSalt and pepperSalt and pepperCayenne pepperCayenne pepper

Method

Step 1

We are after potatoes that will put the fear of God in you, giant things the size of your hand. Get the oven on at 200°C / 400°F, and bring forth thy potatoes.

Step 2

Prick them all around with a fork, and then cover with oil of choice, followed by a good sprinkling all over with cracked black pepper and flaked salt. Place on a baking tray, and in they go. After 20 minutes or so, turn the temp down to 180°C / 350°F and cook for a further 45 minutes minimum.

Step 3

Whilst this is going on (exciting, yes?), get a bulb of garlic — you remember, right — take the top off, expose the tops of the cloves, and place on some foil. Drizzle with oil and a good pinch of S&P, wrap up and place in the oven for 25–30 minutes. Should be ready before your potatoes are.

Step 4

Make sure the skins are not burning. If they are, drop the temp a little and place it at the bottom of the oven. Eventually, you can prick them with a fork to see if they're done. When they are, take them out to cool slightly.

Step 5

Fry off some bacon/bacon lardons, followed by diced chestnut mushrooms. If rashers, chop/cut up into small bits. We'll come back to these soon. How much? Only you know how big your potatoes are, and how many you are doing, so go off that.

Step 6

When cooled enough to handle (you could use a towel, y'know), slice in half lengthways. Grab a large bowl, and with a spoon, carefully scoop the innards into it — try not to go through the skin, you can leave a bit of potato for structure.

Step 7

Throw in a good chunk of unsalted butter in there, your bacon and mushrooms, chopped chives, a good handful of grated cheese (mozzarella and a medium-strong cheese mix works well), several roasted garlic cloves, and at least one tbsp of sour cream per potato (again, your potatoes might be mahoosive, so you'll obviously want more if so), and a bit of S&P. Mix all of that together with a fork.

Step 8

Using the same baking tray, place your halved skins back on it, and begin to scoop the mash back into them. It probably doesn't need stating — but I will do — you have added to the potato, so it will end up being mounds. But we like this, nay, we want this!

Step 9

Sprinkle more grated cheese on top of each, and back into the oven they go for 15–20 minutes. When ready, dust with Cayenne Pepper, and serve two each with a salad.

Appetiser, my butt. Now that's a proper potato skin!

On baking the potato first

A properly baked potato — oiled and salted on the outside, started at high heat — develops a thick, robust skin that can hold the filling without collapsing or tearing. Take the full baking time seriously.

On leaving some potato

When scooping out the flesh, leave about 5 mm of potato attached to the skin. This provides structural integrity for the skin when you fill it — a completely hollow skin will buckle under the weight of the filling.

On the cayenne pepper finish

Cayenne at the end provides heat without being cooked in — it stays bright and present on the surface. A light dust is sufficient; the goal is a warm, gentle heat that lifts the richness of the cheese and butter filling.

Nutrition per serving of two halves

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 4.

Energy

616 kcal

Fat

33.9g

Saturates

16.4g

Carbs

57.3g

Sugars

4.0g

Fibre

6.8g

Protein

22.6g

Salt

2.10g

Origin · The 1970s

Three restaurants, one claim

TGI Fridays says one of its cooks invented potato skins in 1974. R.J. Grunts in Chicago and the Prime Rib in Washington, D.C. both say they were serving them earlier, from around 1971.

In the News · New Zealand, 2022

The potato that was a gourd

A couple near Hamilton dug up a 7.8 kg lump in their garden in 2021, named it Doug and entered it for the heaviest potato record. Guinness had it DNA tested, and it turned out to be the tuber of a type of gourd.

Record · Somerset, 2011

The real heaviest potato

The genuine record belongs to Peter Glazebrook of Nottinghamshire, whose 4.98 kg potato was weighed at Shepton Mallet in September 2011.

Papa a la Huancaína

We are off to Peru for this one (llamas not included), and whilst the main ingredient is the humble potato, it's the sauce that truly makes this dish for what it is.

We will start with the sauce, which can be made in advance and then stored in the fridge to be used later. Then, we will get to the potatoes and how to serve them.

Yes, it does look odd, doesn't it? But you trust me, right? Of course, you do.

Prep

20 mins

Cook

About 25 mins

Serves

Difficulty

Easy

Method

Boiled, with a blended sauce

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

For the sauce

3–4 chillies, de-seeded (or 2 tbsp chilli paste)3–4 chillies, de-seeded (or 2 tbsp chili paste)OilOil2 garlic cloves, crushed2 garlic cloves, crushed½ large onion, diced½ large onion, diced200ml evaporated milkGenerous ¾ cup evaporated milkA good handful of grated white cheese (about 75g)A good handful of grated white cheese (about ¾ cup)4 salted crackers4 saltine crackersWhite pepperWhite pepper

For the potatoes

About 800g all-rounder potatoesAbout 1¾ lb all-rounder potatoesSaltSalt

To serve: Romaine lettuce leaves, and a boiled egg, halved, if you are feeling particularly adventurous.

Method

Step 1

Grab 3 or 4 chillies and de-seed them — we want spicy, but not 'my face is on fire, and I have gone blind in one eye' hot. However, the process can be sped up if you opt for chilli paste (shhh! I won't tell anyone), in which case use 2 tbsps (obviously dependent upon its ferocity — ooh, big word!).

Step 2

However, put some oil in a frying pan, and add your diced chillies, half a large onion diced, and two cloves of obliterated garlic. Sauté them slowly until soft. Once ready, transfer to a blender, and pour in 200ml of evaporated milk. Now blend like you have never blended before.

Step 3

Next, we want grated white cheese — if you can get your hands on a South American white cheese, all the better, but if not, something with a bit of taste and something that melts. A good handful straight in alongside four crackers and some white pepper. Switch the blender back on and bring it all together.

Step 4

Give it a taste; it's okay, it won't bite. Is it salty enough? Is it spicy enough? Is it too thick or too thin? Add where appropriate if needed, and blend again. That is our sauce now done.

Step 5

Now, we move on to the potatoes. All we're doing here is peeling and dicing into small to medium chunks, then dropping them in cold salted water and simmering until done.

Step 6

To serve, heat the sauce (pan or microwave), lay out some potatoes on a plate, and trail some of the sauce over the top. Add a couple of leaves from a Romaine lettuce, and if we are feeling particularly adventurous, a boiled egg cut in half.

See? Not so bad, yes? Still no llamas, though.

On the sauce ingredients

Evaporated milk and salted crackers in a savoury sauce sounds improbable. The crackers add body and a gentle saltiness; the evaporated milk provides a richer, slightly sweeter base than regular milk. Together with the cheese and chilli, the result is creamy, spiced, and deeply flavoured. Trust the process.

On chilli heat

The seeds and inner white membrane are where most of the heat lives in a chilli. Removing them entirely gives you flavour with manageable warmth. If you want more heat, leave a few seeds in. If using chilli paste, taste it first — pastes vary enormously in strength.

On making ahead

The sauce can be made a day or two in advance and kept covered in the fridge. It thickens as it cools — loosen it with a small splash of milk when reheating. The potatoes are best cooked fresh.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 4.

Energy

379 kcal

Fat

15.2g

Saturates

6.0g

Carbs

47.1g

Sugars

8.9g

Fibre

5.1g

Protein

15.1g

Salt

1.20g

Legend · Peru, 1870s

The railway lunch

The best-known story says the dish began during the building of the Central Railway from Lima to Huancayo, when Huancan women fed the workers boiled potatoes in a cheese, pepper and milk sauce. Its origin is genuinely disputed, and the name simply means Huancayo style.

Kitchen Fact · Lima

Thousands of potatoes

Peru is the potato’s centre of origin, with an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 native varieties. The International Potato Center, founded in Lima in 1971, keeps one of the world’s largest potato genebanks.

In the News · United Nations

A day for the potato

At Peru’s proposal, the UN General Assembly declared 30 May the International Day of Potato in December 2023. The first one was celebrated in 2024.

Aloo Gobi

Finally, we arrive in India, where they eat potatoes literally by the spud-load (yes, it's a measurement). The main ingredient is the potato, but there are lots of spices in it — spices are our friends (you really should build up your spice selection; you can never have too many).

Prep

20 mins

Cook

About 20 mins

Serves

Difficulty

Easy

Method

Pan-fried

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

2 large all-rounder potatoes, sliced thinly (skin on, 3 mm)2 large all-rounder potatoes, sliced thinly (skin on, ⅛ inch)1 small to medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets1 small to medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets1 medium onion, sliced1 medium onion, sliced2 garlic cloves2 garlic clovesA thumb-sized piece of fresh gingerA thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger½ tsp ground cumin½ tsp ground cumin½ tsp ground turmeric (minimum)½ tsp ground turmeric (minimum)½ tsp chilli powder (adjust to taste)½ tsp chili powder (adjust to taste)½ tsp garam masala½ tsp garam masala½ tsp ground coriander½ tsp ground corianderJuice of ½ a fresh lemonJuice of ½ a fresh lemon2 tbsp oil2 tbsp oilFresh coriander, to serveFresh cilantro, to serve

Method

Step 1

Grab two large potatoes and slice them up thinly (no need to peel, and 3mm thick). Next, get a small to medium head of cauliflower and break/cut into small florets, then slice up a medium-sized onion. So far, so good.

Step 2

What goes in the frying pan with a bit of oil first? No, it's the cauliflower, but good guess though. Just a couple of minutes, turning/tossing them regularly. Then, the potato slices — the pan is getting a bit full.

Step 3

Do you need a larger frying pan? Probably, I will wait for you to transfer it all. If you get browning on anything, this is fine. Once done — it won't take long — remove to a plate. Now add your onion; you might need a little more oil.

Step 4

Quickly grate two garlic cloves and a thumb-size piece of ginger into the pan, and you can add all the spices. ½tsp each minimum, but you might want to dial the chilli powder back or not, that's your choice.

Step 5

Give it all a good stir, and then add the juice of half a lemon. Please don't use one of those squeezy bottles that says 'lemon juice' on it, just use an actual lemon.

Step 6

Transfer the pan's contents once the onion is done, on top of the potatoes and cauliflower, and then put it all back into the pan to heat back up.

Step 7

Gently toss it, taking care not to break the potatoes (a spatula will help here just to get under everything and flip stuff over).

Once warm, serve into bowls, with fresh coriander ripped up on top.

On building spice

Adding ground spices to a hot pan with aromatics activates the fat-soluble flavour compounds in the spice rather than simply dissolving them in liquid. This is called blooming, and it produces a more rounded, deeper flavour. Stir quickly once the spices go in and add the lemon juice promptly to prevent anything burning.

On fresh lemon juice

Bottled lemon juice is acidic but flat — it lacks the volatile aromatic compounds that make fresh lemon smell and taste the way it does. In a dish like Aloo Gobi, where lemon is one of the last additions and its freshness is part of the point, the difference is noticeable. Use a real lemon.

On cooking the vegetables first

Cauliflower takes slightly longer to soften than thinly sliced potato. Starting with cauliflower, then adding potato, means both are ready at roughly the same time. If you add them together, you risk mushy potato before the cauliflower is done.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated, based on the recipe serving 4.

Energy

239 kcal

Fat

8.3g

Saturates

0.8g

Carbs

38.5g

Sugars

5.4g

Fibre

6.8g

Protein

6.1g

Salt

0.13g

Origin · India, 1600s

Batata

Portuguese traders brought the potato to India’s west coast in the early seventeenth century, which is why it is still called batata in parts of western India. British traders later took it to Bengal.

Kitchen Fact · The 2002 film

Bend It Like Beckham

Aloo gobi found worldwide fame through Gurinder Chadha’s 2002 film, in which Jess points out that anyone can cook aloo gobi, but bending a football like Beckham is another matter. The DVD even came with the recipe.

Record · Space, 1995

The first vegetable in orbit

In October 1995, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, the potato became the first food crop grown in space, in a NASA experiment with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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DWC Weekly · Issue 84

From the Cover · Mike Devlin

Mike Devlin's
Potato Possibilities

So. Much. Cheese.

Fifteen recipes, from silky mash and twice-fried chips to dauphinoise, papa a la huancaína and aloo gobi, each with weights, oven temperatures and Mike’s guide to choosing the right potato.

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Mike Devlin's Potato Possibilities DWC Weekly Issue 84

Waxy Potatoes

Starchy Potatoes

All-Rounder Potatoes

The fifteen recipes

Mike Devlin

Mash

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Roast Potatoes

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Chips

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Hash Browns

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per hash brown

Dauphinoise

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Hasselback

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Fondant

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Potato Cake

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per potato cake

Gratin

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Frittata

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Duchess Potatoes

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Potato & Apple Cake

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Potato Skins

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving of two halves

Papa a la Huancaína

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Aloo Gobi

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Mike Devlin'sPotato Possibilities

Now Go and Cook Something

Mike Devlin's
Potato Possibilities