Celebrate Jersey Royal potatoes with Old Course chef Martin Hollis’s special recipe
It’s time to make the most of April’s seasonal stars – Jersey Royals.
Grown on Jersey for more than 140 years the potatoes are full of vitamins and fibre and their versatility makes them perfect for loads of recipes.
Try my potato, cheddar and spring onion cake recipe. You’ll need 800g Jersey Royal potatoes, 150g smoked cheddar or vegetarian alternative, generous knob of butter, 2 heaped tsp English mustard, bunch of spring onions, seasoned plain flour for dusting, good splash of olive oil, chopped walnuts and crisp leaves to serve.
Peel the potatoes, cutting any large ones in half. Put in a pan of lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until completely tender, then drain and return to a low heat to steam dry.
Grate the cheddar or vegetarian alternative into the potato with a good knob of butter and 2 heaped tsp English mustard, then pass through a ricer or push through a metal sieve with the back of a spoon. Season generously. Trim and finely chop a bunch of spring onions, then stir through. When the mash has cooled slightly, shape into 8 small cakes, then dust lightly in the seasoned plain flour.
Heat a good splash of olive oil in a pan and fry the cakes for 5 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp, though soft in the centre, flipping over carefully with a fish slice or palette knife. Fry in batches with extra oil if necessary. Serve with a salad of chopped walnuts and crisp leaves.
Chefs tip: Firstly you don’t need to peel or scrape them, and secondly, you need to put them in cold water and bring them to the boil – not the other way around to have them at the very best.
All potatoes turn their starch to sugar when temperature is reduced and they turn gloopy, so never keep them in the fridge – a cool, dark place is best.
