Squashed Herby Potatoes Recipes

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a large pot; add 2 teaspoons salt and enough water to cover generously. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes, until just tender when pierced with a fork. (Be careful not to overcook!) Drain and set aside until just cool enough to handle.
• While the potatoes cook, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar and mustard with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the olives, shallot and capers, and set aside to marinate for 10 to 20 minutes.
• When the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, cut them in half (or quarters, to end up with bite-size pieces), and add them to the bowl with the dressing. Gently combine and set aside to cool completely, tossing occasionally.
• Stir in the mint and parsley, along with more salt and pepper to taste, and serve the potato salad at room temperature.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Heat a large heavy-based ovenproof, flameproof pan and add the oil. Drop the potatoes in the oil and cook for 5 mins, so they are coloured. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon, draining the excess oil. Wipe the oil from the pan with kitchen paper, then return the potatoes to the pan. Put in the oven, and cook for a further 15 mins. Sprinkle over the mint and serve.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Add the oil to a large flameproof baking tray and put in the oven to heat up.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, tip in the potatoes and their peel (for extra flavour), and simmer for 8-10 mins. Drain the potatoes and discard the peel. Leave to steam-dry for 15 mins, then return the potatoes to the pan, put the lid on and gently shake to lightly rough up the edges.
• Remove the tray from the oven and put directly on the hob over a medium heat. Add the butter to the hot oil and, using tongs, add the potatoes to the tray, one by one, turning them in the fat, leaving a little space between each. Reduce the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Nestle the herbs around the potatoes, along with the garlic. Sprinkle over 1 tbsp sea salt and return to the oven for 1 hr, turning every once in a while, until golden and crisp.

Steps:

• To make the herby salt, put all the ingredients in a small food processor (or use a pestle and mortar) and grind to a fine salt.
• Tip the potatoes into a large roasting tin and toss with the oil, polenta, 2 tbsp of the herby salt and some black pepper. Any leftover salt will keep for up to 5 days in a small sealed container.
• Bake underneath a joint of meat, if cooking, at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 30 mins. When the meat comes out, turn up the heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook on the top shelf for another 45 mins, shaking the tin halfway through the cooking time.