Crushed potatoes with broad beans

Fresh broad beans of the season, Boston new potatoes, once again I try this excellent Ukrainian dish from Summer Kitchens by Olia Hercules.

Broad beans need to be young and fresh. Too often neither.

ingredients

• two rashers of streaky bacon cut into thin strips
• Boston new potatoes
• broad beans
• small onion
• spring onions
• crème fraiche
• knob of butter
• fresh dill
• season with salt and pepper

method

New potatoes, scrape, add to pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil. Simmer for around twenty minutes.

Broad beans, pod, cook in boiling water for a little over five minutes.

Thin strips of streaky bacon in a hot pan medium heat until turning brown.

Add a little oil. Add onions, cook a couple of minutes until soft and starting to colour.

Decant water from new potatoes and broad beans. Crush but not mash.

Add crushed potatoes and broad beans to bacon and sliced onions.

Add and stir in crème fraiche.

Add a knob of butter.

Add fresh dill. Add sliced spring onion. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve.

Hot tip: When broad beans are not in season, use frozen broad beans. When new potatoes out of season, a couple of baked potatoes in the oven, scoop the cooked potatoes out of their skin. Personally I prefer to use what is in season.

thoughts

A very tasty dish.

Previously I tipped potatoes and broad beans into the frying pan with bacon and onions to crush. Not a good idea as need to keep moving and started to burn. Crush in the saucepan once water drained, then add to the bacon and onions. Crush not mash, to keep texture of the potatoes. But watch for burning on the bottom of the frying pan.

I used half of a large red onion. The other half saved for the next day, to mix with tinned tuna in sunflower oil for a salad.

My previous attempt, I lacked fresh dill. If fresh dill made a difference, I could not tell. Maybe I did not use sufficient. I added two sprigs of dill leaves.

Sliced spring onion added after potatoes and broad beans crushed.

Salmon fillet with jacket potato

Jacket potato 120 minutes fan oven 150C.

Metal skewer through potatoe helps inside to cook. Turn over a couple of times.

Salmon fillet, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Fan oven 180C for 20 minutes.

Serve potato cut in half, season with salt, lashings of butter.

Ssalmon fillet with jacket potato #salmon #potato pic.twitter.com/gKoVCymgxH

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) December 27, 2021

The last of fresh salmon. Food stalls are being kicked out of Lincoln Central Market.

Salmon adaptation from Together latest cook book from Jamie Oliver.

Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients

1lb leaks (two medium size) washed and trimmed
1oz butter
8oz diced potatoes
1 1/2 pint white stock
salt and pepper

Method

Cut up leeks and cook in butter until soft.

Add the white stock and bring to the boil.

Add the potatoes and bring to the boil.

Simmer for around 15 minutes until potatoes and leeks are cooked.

Purée and season.

Should serve around four people.

This is the best leek and potato soup I have ever tasted.

Many thanks to Bob at the County Restaurant for sharing his recipe.

The County Restaurant, in the ancient Roman city and county town of Lincolnshire, is one of the best kept secrets in Lincoln. Open for lunch Mondays to Fridays (except Bank Holidays).

Jamie Oliver has a variation of leak and potato soup using chicken or vegetable stock and olive oil instead of butter, to which he adds carrots, onions, garlic and celery, seasoned with sea salt and black pepper, which will serve around six to eight people.

Note: Stock is the basis or foundation of all good soups. Stock can be white or brown. White stock is usually made with chicken or veal bones.

– Jamie’s stuffed baked potatoes

Jamie’s stuffed baked potatoes

Ingredients

medium size potatoes
cheese
handful of fresh peas
spinach
onion
garlic
fresh pepper

Preparation

Bake potatoes as normal, then allow to cool. Once cool, carefully scrape out the potatoes taking care not to damage the skins.

Mix potatoes with the other ingredients.

When mixed, stir fry in a hot pan or wok to which has been added some oil or butter.

When fried, scoop into empty potato skins. Place into oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Serve hot. When served, delicious.

Many thanks to Jamie Thaxter, chef at Lincoln County Restaurant, for sharing this recipe.

The County Restaurant, in the ancient Roman city and county town of Lincolnshire, is one of the best kept secrets in Lincoln. Open for lunch Mondays to Fridays (except Bank Holidays).

– Leek and Potato Soup