New Potatoes

Glory glory hallelujah, is that new spuds I see in the veggie box?! 

Oh happy days, our time has come again! 

To store these wee beauties just leave them in the bag, unwashed in a cool, dark place. When you’re ready to use them give them a good scrub under warm water and portion so they’re all roughly the same size. No need to peel new spuds, you will find the skin is very tender and will come away just in the washing process. Plus, more skin, more nutrients! 

For best results, boil new spuds in a large pot with plenty of space. Bring up to boil from cold and salt your water. It will take around 10 minutes to bring the water to a boil, then around 20 minutes to cook. (Depending on the size of the spuds). Prick to test if they’re ready. If you’re not serving them hot, run your potatoes under cold water to stop them over cooking.  

I don’t eat butter these days, which I regret seldom. Except! When the spuds are steaming hot and just waiting for a knob of butter to be melted across them. Please enjoy a buttery spud for me (plenty of cracked pepper, little flaky salt. That’s the money.) 

Now, what to do with the leftover spuds! These are the gift that keep on giving. Me, I will be chilling mine overnight, then slicing them and frying them into chipped potatoes; a Johnston family classic. If you would like give it a go fry your chilled, sliced potatoes in a hot pan with both oil and fat (I’ll use Olivani). A quick hot minute or two then flip them, season and fry for another few minutes till brown. Rest on a paper towel to drain. Let your pan come back up to temp before doing another batch, otherwise they will fall part on you. Nothing wrong with that, but you want chips, not hash!  

Noemie has given us her go-to for the left-over new spuds, Spanish frittata!  

Tortilla de patatas 

¼ C olive oil 

about 8 new potatoes 

1 large onion or 2 medium ones 

salt & pepper 

8 eggs 

Method: 

1. peel and thinly slice your potatoes (half a centimetre thick). Heat the 1/4 cup of oil in a pan, once hot, add the sliced potatoes and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes (until soft).
2. While the potatoes are cooking, thinly slice your onion and add to the potatoes for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
3. In a bowl, whisk all 8 eggs with salt and pepper and leave aside for 10 min.
4. Drain the potatoes and onions from the oil (keep the oil to cook with again), add to the eggs, and gently mix.
5. Using the same pan, pour the mixture in and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, until the eggs look cooked on top. Turn the heat off, grab a large plate, place over the pan and flip it. Tada! Spanish frittata!