Wild garlic potato ‘risotto’(pictured above)
Prep 20 min
Cure Overnight
Cook 1 hr 20 min
Serves 4
You can skip the cured egg stage, but the yolks make a lovely counterbalance to the garlicky spuds.
4 egg yolks (optional)
15 good-quality green olives (eg, nocellara), pitted and chopped, plus all the brine from the jar – olive brine is a product that is mostly tipped down the sink; as well as a curing agent, I also use it in salad dressings along with caper brine
700g new potatoes
Salt
1 shallot, peeled and sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced thinly
1 bay leaf
6 cloves new season garlic, peeled and sliced
1 white onion, peeled and diced
50g butter
1 small bunch wild garlic leaves, thinly sliced
1 big handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
2 tbsp capers, drained
If using the egg yolks, put them in a shallow bowl a day ahead, and pour over enough olive brine to submerge them. Leave in the fridge to cure overnight, until firm-ish. You can skip this stage, but the yolks make a lovely counterbalance to the garlicky spuds.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Peel the potatoes, reserving the skins, and cut the flesh into 2cm dice. Put the peel on an oven tray, bake for 15 minutes, then tip into a big pot with 700ml water, a pinch of salt, the shallot, celery, bay and two cloves of garlic. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, leave to infuse for 10 minutes, then strain. You can do this ahead of time, if need be.
Put the potatoes, onion, butter and the rest of the garlic in a pan over a gentle heat and stir until they begin to sweat. Add a ladle of potato peel stock, stir while it simmers and reduces, then add another ladleful and repeat, much as you would a risotto. When the potato is cooked but still retains its shape, turn off the heat and stir in the wild garlic, parsley, capers and olives.
Serve in four bowls, topping each with a cured yolk, if using, lifted carefully out of its brine with a slotted spoon.
Salt-baked jersey royals with peas, mint and mustard
Prep 10 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 4 as a side
Rock salt
500g jersey royals
50g butter
150g podded fresh peas (or frozen)
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
100ml single cream
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked and finely shredded
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Scatter a thin layer of rock salt on a baking tray and arrange the potatoes on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cooked through.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the peas and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Stir in the diced shallot, mustard and cream, then add the potatoes and toss to coat. Off the heat, scatter over the fresh mint and serve.
Jersey royals with preserved lemon
Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4
Colatura di alici is an ancient Mediterranean anchovy sauce made in wooden barrels, which you can get in good Italian delis; it’s not cheap, so use a good-quality fish sauce instead, if need be.
800g jersey royals, scrubbed and cut into 2cm-thick slices
1 white onion, peeled and finely sliced
4 cloves new season garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 bay leaf
50-100ml good-quality, peppery extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of ½ lemon
5 salted anchovies, rinsed and finely chopped
1 tbsp preserved lemon rind and flesh, finely chopped
1 drizzle colatura di alici (or fish sauce)
Parmesan or bottarga, to garnish (optional)
Put the potatoes, onion, garlic and bay leaf in a large pot and add enough cold water just to cover. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and leave to simmer gently for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes start to fall apart when poked with a fork. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Stir in the oil to taste, then season with the lemon zest, anchovies, preserved lemon and colatura di alici (or fish sauce).
Divide into four bowls, scatter over some finely grated parmesan or bottarga, if using, and serve.
Warm potato salad with oysters
Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4 as a side
You can find nori in the world food aisle at big supermarkets. It’s much easier to blend in bulk; so while you need only a scattering here, you can jar the rest and use to flavour butter or as a seasoning. You can buy dulse – a red seaweed – in big supermarkets and healthfood shops.
4 sheets dried nori
400ml milk
400ml water
Salt
450g new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
30g dried dulse, chopped finely with scissors
20 rock oysters
1 tbsp creme fraiche
1 squeeze lemon juice
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Put the nori on a small oven tray, bake for five minutes, then leave to cool completely. Cut the nori into small pieces, then whizz to a fine powder in blend ut into the small bowl of a food processor (make sure the bowl is dry) and store in an airtight container.
Put the milk, water and a pinch of salt in a large saucepan. Add the potatoes, bring to a simmer and leave to bubble gently until just cooked. Off the heat, add the dulse to the pot and leave to cool slightly in the cooking liquid.
Heat a griddle and, once it’s smoking gently, lay in the oysters, cover and leave for 90 seconds, until steam splutters out (or cook them directly on hot barbecue coals for a minute). Carefully lift out the oysters with tongs, then leave to cool a little. Carefully remove the oysters from their shells – they may pop open in the heat, but if not, they’re easily shucked – reserving any juices as you go.
Strain the potatoes, tip into a bowl, then stir in the creme fraiche, lemon juice, oysters and some of their reserved juices, to taste. Scatter over a little nori powder and serve.
