The humble spud- we eat it baked, roasted, mashed and fried. It has got to be one of the most versatile foods you have in your kitchen. Today we are giving you some meals based on potatoes to try and make at home.
A Spanish omelette, Rumbledethumps- a fantastically named Scottish dish we discovered in skinflints kitchen cooking group, and Mexican potatoes- happy cooking!
Rick Steins Spanish Omelette
600g Evenly sized main-crop potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edwards
150ml olive oil, plus 2-3 tbsp if needed
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
12 large free-range eggs
Salt
Peel the potatoes, halve them lengthways and then cut them across into roughly 6–7mm thick slices.
Heat the 150ml of olive oil in a shallow 26–28cm reliably non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add the potatoes and ¾ teaspoon of salt and leave them to cook, stirring every now and then, for about 10 minutes or until very tender but not browned.
Spoon onto a plate, leaving behind as much of the oil as you can, and set to one side. Add the onion and 2 tablespoons more of oil if necessary to the pan and fry for 7-10 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid browning the onions, until they are soft and sweet.
Return the potatoes to the pan and, using a fork, mix together well with the onions, then arrange the ingredients in an even layer over the base of the pan. Break the eggs into a bowl, season with ¾ teaspoon of salt and whisk together well
Pour them over the potatoes and onions and cook over a medium-low heat, lifting the mixture here and there every now and then to allow the loose egg to run underneath, for 6–7 minutes or until almost set but still slightly soft on top. Release the omelette from the sides of the pan with a knife and carefully slide it out onto a large plate.
Brush the base of the pan with a little more oil, then turn the pan over and cover the omelette with it. Holding the pan and the plate together, quickly turn them over again so the omelette is back in the pan, cooked side up. Return it to the heat for just 1 minute then slide once more onto a large warmed plate and serve straight away,, it goes nicely with salad.
Rumbledethumps
This is delicious on its own or as a side dish. It is nicknamed the Scots version of bubble and squeak. The name comes from the noise made in the kitchen as the tatties and cabbage are rumbled and thumped in the preparation. Sue Lawrence in her book Scots Cooking: The Best Traditional and Contemporary Scottish Recipes says that it is a Borders dish. Her Rumbledethumps recipe differs slightly from the one below in that she also uses turnip and chopped chives and prefers to use Savoy cabbage.
Boiled Potatoes
Boiled Cabbage
Butter
Spring onions
Salt and Pepper
Cheese
Take equal measurements of boiled tatties and cabbage and mash/mince and mix together adding finely chopped up spring onions and a wee bit of butter. Add salt and pepper.
Put in an oven safe dish and sprinkle cheese over the top. Brown in the oven
Mexican Potatoes
If you don't have the exact spices to put in this dish, don't worry, use what you have and put your own spin on it.
800g potato, cut into cubes
1 tbsp olive oi
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
soured cream, to serve (optional)
Boil the potatoes for 5 mins. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion for 8 mins. Add the garlic and spices, then fry for 2 mins more.
Drain the potatoes and tip into the onion mix. Turn up the heat and shake the potatoes around so that they are all covered. Cook for 10 mins more until tender, then serve with soured cream, sprinkled with a little cayenne pepper