baking potatoes

'Neeps' are better known as swedes, the traditional Scottish accompaniment to haggis

Neeps & tatties

8large baking potatoes, washed, peel

olive oilor sunflower

swede weighing about 675 grams/11⁄2lb, peeled and roughly chopped

butter,

The day before you want to serve, preheat the oven to fan oven 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Put the potatoes into a pan of lightly salted water, return to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes, put them back into the pan and place it back on the heat for a couple of minutes to dry out.

Meanwhile, pour the oil into a large roasting tin (you may have to use two) and heat it in the oven until smoking hot. Now stir the potatoes into the hot oil and return to the oven to roast, turning occasionally, for 55 minutes.

Cook the swede in boiling salted water for 50-55 minutes, or until very soft. Drain and add to the roasted potatoes. Roughly mash everything together, keeping quite chunky, then cool, cover and keep in a cool place.

To serve, preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Uncover the potatoes and swede, dot with the butter and put in the oven to reheat for 25-30 minutes, stirring now and again until piping hot. Serve with lots of butter.

Make this take-away classic in your kitchen, healthier than your local chippy and just as tasty

Crispy fish & chips with mushy peas

baking potato

olive oil

white bread

white fish fillets,

tbsp plain flour, seasoned

egg, beaten

frozen pea with mint

tbsp crème fraîche

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 4. Peel and chop the potatoes into thick chips, then toss with the olive oil and some salt. Arrange on a large non-stick baking tray and roast for 20 mins, turning halfway.

Lightly toast the bread, then pulse briefly in a food processor for coarse breadcrumbs. Dust the fish in flour, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg, then breadcrumbs to coat thoroughly. Roast the fish with the chips for a further 20 mins, until both are golden.

Just before the fish and chips are ready, boil the peas for 3-4 mins, then drain and mash. Stir in the crème fraiche and season.

Make the perfect jacket potato – crispy on the outside and meltingly soft in the middle

Classic jacket potatoes

potatoes

soured cream

cheddar,grated

crispy baconrashers, chopped

spring onions,thinly sliced

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Rub the olive oil over the potatoes and put on the top shelf of the oven. Bake for 20 mins.

Turn down the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and bake for 45 mins-1 hr until the skin is crisp and the flesh soft.

Cut a cross on top of each potato, squeeze the sides, add the soured cream and your favourite toppings.

There are a number of tricks in this basic recipe from Laura Sbrana, the mother of the chef Marco Canora: Start with baking potatoes and get rid of as much moisture as you can. Use less flour than you would expect. For a light and airy gnocchi, work the dough as little as possible so that it doesn't become glutinous which would result in a heavy and chewy result.

Gnocchi

potatoes,

Kosher salt

egg yolks,

White pepper

all-purpose flour,

ice cubes

unsalted butter (2 sticks)

Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a sheet pan with a 1-inch layer of kosher salt. Place potatoes on salt, and bake 1 1/2 hours. Remove potatoes, and cut in half horizontally. Deeply score flesh in a crisscross pattern. Place halves on racks and allow to cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Scoop flesh into a large bowl.

Press potato flesh through a fine ricer or sieve, and weigh it. You need 2 1/4 pounds.

Spread riced potatoes on a clean work surface, and shape loosely into a flat mound. Drizzle with egg yolks. Sprinkle with pepper. Cut into potato mound at 1-inch intervals with a pastry scraper, spatula or cleaver, to incorporate egg yolks. Sprinkle with flour as you go. Work mound by cutting and folding, but not kneading. Sprinkle with flour in handfuls until potato mixture feels fairly dry and is no longer sticky, and a small piece can be rolled easily into a ball.

Line two sheet pans with parchment. Lightly dust with flour.

Clean work surface with a scraper, and lightly dust with flour. Shape potato mixture into a loaf about 1 1/2 inches high, 4 inches wide and 12 inches long. Cut 1 1/2-inch slice from the loaf with a scraper or knife. Roll into a rope about 1/2 inch thick and 30 inches long. Cut at 1-inch intervals. Smooth ends of each piece lightly with fingertips. Place finished gnocchi on a paper-lined pan. Repeat with remaining mixture.

Bring a large pot of water, with 1 heaping tablespoon salt for each quart, to a boil.

Place ice cubes in a large bowl, add 4 quarts cold water, and place a large colander in the bowl so that it fills with ice water.

Slide gnocchi from one baking sheet into boiling water. After about 90 seconds, gnocchi will begin floating to the surface. Remove to colander with a slotted spoon or skimmer. Repeat with second batch.

Reline baking sheets with clean parchment. With a skimmer, transfer cold gnocchi to baking sheets. Cooked gnocchi can be served at once (see next step for a quick butter sauce, or toss cooked gnocchi with a warm sauce of your choosing), set aside for several hours or frozen in an airtight container for future use.

For a quick butter sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in 1 cup water until emulsified. (If not using entire batch of gnocchi, use proportionately less butter sauce.) Transfer sauce to 1 or 2 skillets large enough to hold gnocchi in a single layer. Add gnocchi, and cook over medium heat until butter starts to bubble and gnocchi are warmed through. Dust with cheese, and serve. Frozen gnocchi can be heated in butter without thawing.

Potato Leek Soup

Idaho potatoes,

Salt and pepper

unsalted butter

onion,

leeks,

bouquet garni

chicken stock

heavy cream

watercress, cleaned, stems removed and chopped

bay scallops

chives

In a medium saucepan, cover 1/2 of the diced potatoes with cold water, and season with salt. Bring to a boil, and blanch until potatoes are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and reserve.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onions and leeks, and stir. Cover pot and saute, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Uncover, and add remaining potatoes, bouquet garni, salt, pepper, chicken stock and cream. Stir. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat, uncovered. Simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Remove potatoes from heat; drain and reserve.

Using a food processor or blender, puree the soup in batches. Season to taste. Return soup to pot; add blanched potatoes and simmer over medium heat. When liquid simmers, add watercress and scallops. Cook 30 seconds, stirring once. Ladle soup into warm bowls; sprinkle with chives.

Crisp-skinned, fluffy jacket potatoes are a budget-friendly way to feed a crowd. Serve our easy baked potatoes with soured cream, cheese or baked beans

Baked potatoes

vegetable oil

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Rub a little oil over each potato and put on the top shelf of the oven. Bake for 20 mins, then turn down the oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5 and bake for 45 mins-1 hr more until the skin is crisp and the inside soft. Make a cross in the centre of each potato, dollop over the soured cream and serve.

Top 6 baking potatoes recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Neeps & tatties

Crispy fish & chips with mushy peas

Classic jacket potatoes

Gnocchi

Potato Leek Soup

Baked potatoes

Top 6 baking potatoes recipes from across the web

The most viewed baking potatoes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Neeps & tatties

Crispy fish & chips with mushy peas

Classic jacket potatoes

Gnocchi

Potato Leek Soup

Baked potatoes

The most viewed baking potatoes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine