Round about now, when Jersey Royals start to make their earth-speckled appearance in the shops, I begin to get excited about my own new potatoes. They may not have been nurtured inseaweed and salty breezes, but they're a royal treat to me nonetheless. Actually, to be brutally honest, they're better than Jerseys.
Considering they're so easy to grow, new potatoes can be a bit pricey. I promise, they're like Jack's magic beans – just bury them in the earth and then, 80-100 days later: treasure. Unless you have a big plot, there's no point in trying to grow all your main-crop mashers and bakers, but the news are another matter; they don't even take up much room.
At home and at River Cottage, Igrow belle de fontenay, ratte, orla, anya and pink duke of york, which Ipick early for new or leave to grow larger to enjoy later. Next year, plan to plant out your earlies between February (in a polytunnel or greenhouse) and April, to harvest from May onwards. You want to plant them 10-12cm deep, chits up, about 30cm apart. As the leafy tops appear, earth them up a bit to prevent light reaching the top few potatoes, and remove any flowers (this seems to increase yield).
Lift as you want to eat them and cook as soon as possible. Just wash the fragile, papery skins – don't scrub if you can avoid it – tip into boiling, salted water (with a mint sprig, if youlike) and cook for 10-12 minutes, until tender. Served with butter, asprinkling of sea salt and some more mint – perhaps finely shredded this time – it's an ode to spring.
This should do you for a good couple of weeks, but after that you might want to branch out a bit. Addthem to curries; toss them, hot, in asorrel or rocket pesto; tumble them into a salad with crème fraîche, chives and flaked, hot-smoked fish; stir them into aSpanishomelette with a bit of chorizo; wrap them in foil, trickled with a little oil and sprinkled with sea salt and thyme, then cook on thebarbecue or in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes… I tell you, it's awhole new world out there.
New potato salad
A quick and delicious hot salad thatis substantial enough to enjoy as ameal on its own. Serves four.
1kg new potatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp groundnut oil
12 rashers streaky bacon, cut into 4cm pieces
2 large onions, halved and very finely sliced
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
2 big handfuls young flat-leaf parsley, picked
For the vinaigrette
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
Put a large pan of water on to boil, add salt, then drop in the spuds and cook for 10-14 minutes, until tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, mustard and a little salt and pepper, then whisk in the oil until you have a nice, thick emulsion.
Heat the groundnut oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and sauté the bacon until it just starts to crisp. Add the onions, season and lower the heat, then cook until soft and translucent.
Drain the potatoes. When cool enough to handle, cut them in half and add to the bacon pan. Stir in the chives and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat, stir in the vinaigrette and toss with the parsley leaves. Serve immediately.
Papas arrugadas
In the Canary Islands, these potatoes, served with herby or fiery sauces, are a nibble to go with drinks or as an accompaniment to grilled meat or fish. Serves six as a starter.
1kg new potatoes
Flaky sea salt
For the mojo picon (spicy sauce)
2 mild, dried chillies
2 red peppers, flame-grilled and peeled (or from a jar, drained of their oil), chopped
1 whole garlic bulb, separated
¾ tsp cumin
½ tsp sweet, smoked paprika
120ml white-wine vinegar
180ml extra-virgin olive oil
For the mojo cilantro (herb sauce)
1 whole garlic bulb, separated
¾ tsp cumin
120ml white-wine vinegar
1 big handful coriander, tough stalks removed, and finely chopped
180ml extra-virgin olive oil
To cook the spuds, bring a pan of water to a boil and add plenty ofsalt– traditionally, the potatoes were boiled in sea water, so it needsto be quite salty. Add the potatoes and simmer until tender. Drain most of the water from thepan and scatter over a good sprinkling of flaky sea salt. Turn down the heat and rattle the pan gently so the salt crystallises on thepotatoes. Take off the heat, cover the pan with a tea towel and set aside for five minutes or so, untilthe potatoes wrinkle slightly. Serve with the sauces.
Make the sauces ahead of time. For the mojo picon, put the dried chillies in a bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Leave to soak for 45 minutes. Drain, then chop roughly and pound in a mortar with the peppers, peeled garlic cloves, cumin and paprika until smooth. Stir in the vinegar, then slowly mix in the oil until you have a thick sauce. (Alternatively, blitz it all up ina blender.)
For the mojo cilantro, peel the garlic cloves, then put them in alarge mortar along with the cuminand a good pinch of salt. Pound with a pestle until you have asmooth paste. Stir in first the vinegar and then the chopped coriander. Slowly stir in the oil until you have asmooth, herby dressing. (Alternatively, you can make this sauce in a blender, too.)
Pizza bianca
Easy, tasty new Roman(tic) treat… Makes two.
For the dough
125g plain flour
125g strong white bread flour
½ tsp easy-blend yeast
5g fine sea salt
160ml warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
Cornmeal (or semolina), for dusting (optional)
For the topping
3 tbsp olive oil
3 onions, peeled and very thinlysliced
300g new potatoes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
A few tbsp crème fraîche
Extra-virgin olive oil, for trickling
To make the dough, combine the flours, yeast and salt in a bowl. Stir in the water and oil to form a rough dough. Knead for about 10 minutes until silky and elastic. It will be quite sticky at first, but it will become less so as you knead, so don't add much extra flour. Place in a clean bowl, cover with a plastic bag and leave to rise until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and cook gently until soft and translucent. Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain, cool slightly and cut into halves or quarters.
Preheat the oven as high as it will go and put in two baking sheets to heat up. Knock back the risen dough and divide into two. Use a rolling pin, your hands or both to roll and stretch one half into a thin piece that will cover one baking sheet. Take one of the baking sheets from the oven, scatter it with a little extra flour or cornmeal, and lay on the dough.
Spread half the onions over the dough, scatter over half the potatoes and rosemary, then add a few dollops of crème fraîche. Grind over some pepper and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the base is crisp. While it's cooking, roll out the second piece of dough, and prepare and cook the second pizza in the same way. Serve hot, in big slices, trickled with fruity olive oil.
