How versatile, comforting and downright glorious the humble spud can be? You’ll be very wrong thinking it won’t go far beyond mash or chips.
Let my spud collection inspire you. From rustic bakes and gratins layered with cheese, herbs and smoky chorizo, to one-pan wonders pairing potatoes with fish or sausage, every recipe is about potato’s knack for transforming everyday ingredients into satisfying fodder.
Ten standout potato-based main courses, all easy to prepare and deliciously warming. Especially at this time of year you’ll appreciate potato tray bakes or a less common take on vegetarian classics (potato babka, anyone?). The potato to the centre stage!
An unsurprisingly good combination, there’s fish and chips after all. This is a different take on spuds and cod: a one tray dinner with the cod or any other white fish fillets roasted on top of crisp and herby potato slices. It’s a simple dish and always a winner.
A good way to use up yesterday’s leftover boiled potatoes: crispy chorizo potatoes, slices of cooked new potatoes crispened in flavourful chorizo fat. You might actually want to cook them specifically for this recipe, it’s so good.
Crispy chorizo potatoes
RECIPE
My all-time vegetarian classic bake, creamy leeks and potatoes with creme fraiche and cheese. It vaguely resembles tartiflette or pommes dauphinoise in its levels of comfort.
Potato and cabbage gratin, herby with sage and dill, cheesy with Gruyere or Cheddar. It’s rich, warming and absolutely comforting – it’s an oven-baked antidepressant!
Potato and cabbage gratin
RECIPE
Potato, chorizo and cauliflower tray bake, a one pan dish again, seasoned with cinnamon and smoked paprika. It’s an easy supper, with minimal washing up which always counts. Chorizo and potatoes take about 1 hour 20 minutes to bake in the oven, become crisp and super tasty.
Potato and chorizo tray bake
RECIPE
Another gratin, a super-comfort dish of sliced potatoes and fennel baked in garlicky cream and a generous sprinkle of Gruyere or Cheddar. It is seriously rich so a light green salad, a bowl of pickles or both alongside the gratin will be perfect.
Potato and fennel gratin
RECIPE
Potato babka is a classic albeit obscure dish from the eastern parts of Poland, North Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania. It is worth chalking up as an unusual and tasty alternative to a boring nut roast for holidays. Lavishly seasoned grated potato mass studded with peppers and mushrooms baked till crisp in a loaf tin.
Leftover boiled potatoes are being used up again so make sure you cook a surplus next time. Salmon and potato bake with creamy topping on the salmon and a pinch of crisp Parmesan on the potatoes – it’s a healthy and easy fish tray bake, as suited for a weeknight as for a special occasion.
Alpine tartiflette is the best potato and bacon dish ever invented. Reblochon cheese is traditionally used but at a push replace it with Gruyere and/or Camembert. Tartiflette is easy to make and delicious with plain green salad.
Warm roast potatoes with flakes of smoked mackerel tossed in make a delicious salad with no dressing required thanks to the potato seasoning. The best potato salad with the added goodness, omega-3-ishness and inexpensiveness of smoked mackerel – which makes it a complete meal.
Potato and smoked mackerel salad
RECIPE