The humble spud – whether we are talking perfect chips, creamy mash, simply boiled new potatoes – is one of life’s great gastronomic pleasures. I’ve often read how some chefs insist that the best mash comes from baking jacket potatoes then scooping out the insides to mash up. This makes a lot more sense than boiling as none of the flavour or goodness of the spud is lost to the water. So this weekend I decided to give it a go and take it a step further; deep frying the outer skins of the potatoes before reassembling the spud with the mash. Make sure you get a nice brown-skinned potato and roast whole at 200ºC for 50 to 60 minutes until cooked through. Scoop out the insides and run through a ricer to purée (or use a masher) and stir in lots of good quality butter and perhaps some double cream, season with salt and keep warm. Once the skins have cooled, immerse them in hot oil for around five minutes until totally crispy, fill with the mash and season with black pepper. Delicious!
By Patrick Stuart [email protected]
