Michelin chef shares 7 ways to cook potatoes

The humble potato: whether mashed, fried, baked or roasted, there are many different ways to cook one. However you prepare it though, one thing's for sure – it’s hard to beat a spud as a comfort food.

Most of us who like to cook at home know the basics when it comes to cooking potatoes: we can knock up a crispy roast potato, sure, or work up a creamy mash and we all know that when it comes to potatoes, fat is your friend.

However, if you’re looking to take your potato cooking up a level, you’ll love these recipes from chef Adam Smith of Michelin-starred Woven restaurant at Coworth Park in England. He’s got the ultimate recipes for chunky chips, mash, loaded potato skins and much more. Enjoy!

Serves: 2

Equipment needed

2 x 9cm/3.5-inch x 4cm/1.6-inch pan
1 greaseproof paper cartouche, 9cm/3.5-inch diameter
Japanese mandolin
35mm/1.4-inch round cutter
Large sauté pan
Pastry brush

Ingredients

800g/1.8lbs peeled Agria potatoes (as large as possible)
250g/0.5lbs beef dripping
2 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper

Method

• Place the dripping into a saucepan to slowly melt.
• Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F.
• Slice one potato 3mm thick on a Japanese mandolin.
• Stamp out 15 discs using the cutter.
• Slice another potato 2mm thick on the Japanese mandolin.
• Cut these into 2cm/0.8-inch-wide strips keeping them as long as possible (you will need at least 16 strips).
• Ensure to keep all of the potato trimmings.
• Reserve all of the cut discs and strips to one side.
• Any leftover potatoes should be sliced 3mm thick.
• In a large sauté pan add roughly ½ the beef dripping before adding the potatoes.
• Cook these slowly for 6-8 minutes on a low heat.
• While the potatoes are cooking, finely chop the garlic cloves before adding to the potatoes along with salt and pepper.
• Continue to cook for a further 6-8 minutes until the potatoes are evenly cooked and without colour.
• Brush the bottom and sides of your pan with beef fat and gently warm.
• Arrange the discs on the bottom of the pan, starting with one disc at the centre and the rest slightly overlapping around that to form a perfect galette.
• Take the strips of potatoes and start to place these up the sides of the pan ensuring there is a slight overlap on the galette at the bottom and that they overhang the top rim of the pan. Continue until all sides are covered.
• Press the cooked potatoes and garlic into the middle of the pan until 4/5 full.
• Fold the overhang of potato strips into the centre and then cover with the greaseproof paper cartouche.
• Place the second pan on the top as a weight.
• Spoon over 3 tablespoons of beef dripping before putting the pan onto the stove on low heat. Cook for around 10-12 minutes, be careful the fat will start to bubble over.
• Keeping the pan on top, place into the oven at 175°C/350°F for 40 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 8-10 minutes before turning out (the potatoes should be beautifully golden brown and crispy).
• Season with a little sea salt and serve.

Note: the type of potatoes will vary throughout the year, however in general if a potato is good for roasting or chips (fries) it will work.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1kg/2.2lbs Jersey Royal potatoes
2 banana shallots
Handful of mint leaves (plus stalks)
1 lemon
100g/3.5oz salted butter
200ml/6.8 fl. oz rapeseed oil (best quality possible)
Sea salt
Milled pepper

Method

• First, wash and scrub all of the potatoes. IMPORTANT: do not peel, just scrub or scrape with the back of a knife.
• Place into a heavy-bottomed pan, season with salt and cover with cold water.
• Bring to the boil and simmer until just cooked.
• Remove from heat and add the mint stalks and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Peel and finely dice the shallots.
• Dice the mint leaves into 3mm squares.
• Add the butter to a saucepan and then the potatoes over low heat.
• Using a large table fork start to crush the potatoes.
• Add in the finely diced shallot and then the rapeseed oil.
• Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Once hot and well-seasoned finish with the diced mint leaves and the zest of a lemon.

This is the perfect accompaniment to a fish dish!

Serves: 6

Equipment needed

Japanese mandolin
Cheese garter
Ceramic roasting tray

Ingredients

1kg/2.2lbs Maris Piper potatoes (peeled)
600ml/20 fl. oz double cream
400ml/13.5 fl. oz milk
6 cloves garlic
2 shallots
100g/3.5oz butter
Sprig of thyme
Sprig of rosemary
200ml/6.8 fl. oz white wine
200g/7oz finely grated parmesan
300g/10.6oz grated mature Cheddar
Salt and pepper

Method

• Peel and thinly slice both the shallots and the garlic cloves.
• In a heavy-bottomed pan add the butter and the sliced shallots, garlic, thyme and rosemary, and sweat without colour until soft.
• Add the white wine and reduce to a syrup.
• Add the double cream and milk then bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper.
• Slice the peeled potatoes around 3mm thick before adding to the cream and milk mixture.
• Slowly simmer until the potatoes are just soft but not totally cooked.
• Drain the potatoes in a colander, reserving all of the liquid and picking out the herbs.
• Pass the liquid through a fine sieve and return to a low heat.
• Whisk in the parmesan and 1/3 of the mature Cheddar until totally dissolved and check for seasoning.
• Start to layer the cooked potato slices evenly across the bottom of the roasting tray.
• Spoon over a thin layer of the cheesy cream mix and a sprinkle of the mature Cheddar (use the second 1/3 of Cheddar for the inner layers).
• Repeat this until all of the potatoes are in the roasting tray.
• Spoon an even layer of the creamy cheese mix over the top so you can no longer see any of the potatoes.
• Evenly sprinkle the final 1/3 of the grated Cheddar on the top.
• Place into a preheated oven at 170°C/340°F for 1 hour.
• It should be beautifully golden brown and crisp on the top.
• Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10-12 minutes before serving.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

6 medium-sized Maris piper potatoes
6 spring onions
50g/1.8oz butter
100g/3.5oz sour cream
2 banana shallots, finely diced
3 tbsp chopped gherkins
3 tbsp chopped chives
3 tbsp chopped dill
1 tsp Dijon mustard
100g/3.5g finely grated parmesan
Rapeseed oil
Salt
For the ultimate treat add caviar!

Method

• First, wash the potatoes under cold water and use a clean nail brush to scrub off all of the soil.
• Dry the potatoes and prick with a fork before seasoning well with salt and placing into a pre-heated oven at 170°C/340°F for 1 hour.
• Once the potatoes are soft, remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Cut each potato in half and using a dessert spoon scoop out the centre leaving a 3mm layer of flesh around the skin, keep all of the flesh in a large mixing bowl.
• Using a dessert fork add the diced shallots, sliced spring onions, gherkins, chives, dill, mustard and sour cream to the potato flesh.
• Mix with the fork until evenly distributed and season with salt and pepper.
• Split the mix evenly between the 12 skins and spoon back in.
• Sprinkle with the grated parmesan before returning to the baking tray.
• Cook at 170°C/340°F until the tops are golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
• For a really special treat cover these with caviar, it’s amazing!