Ahhhh, potatoes - originally hailing from the distant lands of South America, potatoes travelled all around the world and are now a staple in our everyday lives. There's nothing better than homemade potato chips or a cheesy potato bake on a cold night; truly the ultimate comfort food!
Salt baked, cheese stuffed and finished with a spiced butter and micro herbs.
This recipe celebrates the humble spud in all her glory! Please Enjoy!
3 Cheese Baked potato with Aleppo & herb butter
Serves 4
Prep 10
Cooking 1 hour
6 medium potatoes (red rascal, purple hearts and agria all work for this recipe)
100g unsalted butter
Sprig rosemary
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ tsp each Aleppo flakes* and smoked paprika
Handful of basil leaves
Juice of half a lemon, plus extra wedges to serve
Streamside micro greens serve
Cheese filling
2 tbsp cream cheese
1 tbsp onion jam/ chutney
50g soft feta, crumbled
50g tasty cheese, grated (or sub with mozzarella)
Preheat the oven to 180°C and Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Clean potatoes and dry well. Drizzle with oil and scatter with a good pinch of fine
salt. Lightly. stab with a fork/sharp knife a few times to pierce the skin (this will help let the steam escape while cooking) and place on tray. Bake for 45 mins- 1 hour or until potatoes skin is crisp and potatoes are cooked through when checked with a knife.
Meanwhile, to make the Aleppo butter, place basil in a heat proof bowl. Place butter in a fry pan over medium high heat to melt then add rosemary and spices and cook for 1-2 minutes or until foam subsides and butter turns golden red. Pour hot butter over basil and set aside for 5 minutes to crisp. Stir through lemon juice and season to taste.
To make the filling, combine cream cheese, feta, and onion jam. Season to taste.
Increase oven to 220°C. Halve potatoes lengthways and fill with a spoonsful of
cheese filling. Scatter with grated cheese and return to oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and warmed through.
To serve, Drizzle potatoes with butter and scatter with microgreens. Serve with extra lemon wedges alongside.
*Aleppo flakes are a mild chilli flake found a lot in Turkish cuisine. They’re perfect for adding a slight level of heat and colouring oils and butter with a beautiful golden red glow. I found mine at one of my favourite middle eastern grocers: Maihan Supermarket 403 Colombo Street, Sydenham
