Nutritious, delicious and endlessly versatile, the potato is by far the most important vegetable in Europe and has been particularly warmly embraced by cooks in the UK and Ireland. How impoverished would our national cuisine be without golden roast potatoes, thick-cut chips, or creamy mash?
After selecting the right potato for the job, a little attention to detail during preparation can transform the humble spud into a gastronomic experience that is hard to beat. Just reading the names of the recipes we’ve picked out makes us immediately want to eat them.
HISTORY
Potatoes were cultivated five thousand years ago in what is now Peru. They were introduced to Europe via Spain in the 1550s and arrived in the UK sometime in the 1590s. Somewhat surprisingly, potatoes weren’t grown in North America until they were taken by Irish emigrants in 1719. They travelled to Australasia with Captain Cook in 1770.
When first introduced to Britain, potatoes were an exotic and expensive food with a reputation as an aphrodisiac. It was more than a century later before they became a firmly established staple food.
In the 1840s the potato crop in much of Europe was wiped out by potato blight – an infection of the fungus Phytophthora infestans. Ireland was particularly badly hit as the crop was dominated by a single, highly susceptible, variety. In just over a decade the population of Ireland dropped by over a fifth: it is estimated that a million people died of malnutrition and a million more emigrated. This tragic episode serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining genetic diversity in agriculture.
NUTRITION
Potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates, vitamin C and folate. They contain the minerals copper, potassium and manganese and the skin provides dietary fibre.
BIOLOGY
Solanum tuberosum is a plant in the nightshade family that is now grown in some 130 countries in all corners of the world. Potato plants reproduce vegetatively by growing tubers from which the new plant develops, hence potatoes are clones (the offspring are genetically identical to the parent plant).
TIPS
BUYING
Pick potatoes that are firm, with smooth undamaged skin. Avoid any that are bruised, tinged with green or sprouting.
For culinary purposes, potatoes are loosely grouped into waxy or starchy (in reality many potatoes fall somewhere between the two). Waxy potatoes hold their shape when cooked and so are good in casseroles and gratins or for serving as boiled potatoes. Starchy ones are better for mashing, baking, roasting and frying. Some of the more commonly available varieties are listed below.
Starchy varieties:
- Desiree. Probably the best all-rounder; can be used in almost any potato dish and has a greater depth of flavour than most.
- King Edward. Recommended for baking and roasting. They are Delia’s potato of choice for making gnocchi.
- Maris Piper. General purpose potato, good for chips.
- Kerr’s Pink. Less common but makes great mash.
Waxy varieties:
- Marfona. Somewhere between waxy and starchy. Lends itself to boiling and baking.
- Pink Fir Apple. A tasty spud with many of the characteristics of new potatoes; use in salads.
- Cara. Try in gratins.
STORING
In a cool, dark, dry place (not the fridge) away from onions or any strongly flavoured foods.
PREPARING
Everyone has their own preferred techniques for preparing simple potato dishes; here are the ones that work for us.