Issue #07 May 2023
Hello & Happy May!
I hope you are all super well & looking forward to the three bank holidays this month & if you work in hospitality or any other sector where bank holidays mean nothing more than being very, very busy, I salute you & thank you.
May is a very exciting time for seasonal eating in the UK, as we see the first crops of two quintessentially British & highly anticipated foods come back in season.
You will likely have seen British strawberries starting to appear on shelves in the supermarkets & greengrocers in the past week. The official start of the British strawberry season is 1st May and quite frankly, I cannot bloody wait! Strawberries are at their best in June & July, so don’t be put off if your new season berries aren’t quite as sweet as you were expecting this month. Expect the season to carry through to the end of August/early September at the latest.
We have also just seen the start of asparagus season on St Georges Day (April 23rd). The asparagus season is fleeting, only lasting six weeks until early June, so make the most of it whilst you can. One of my favourite ways to cook asparagus is flashed over hot coals on the BBQ for a few minutes until charred then finish with a drizzle of good olive oil, a squeeze of lemon & some sea salt.
What’s at its best this month…
Hero Ingredient Jersey Royals
I am very very happy to be focusing on potatoes! I LOVE potatoes, in any shape or form…roasted, boiled & swimming in butter, chips, mash (especially mash), rostis, dauphinoise, you name it, I’ve never met a potato I don’t like!
Jersey Royals are not just any potato though, they are that extra bit special because they hold protected designation of origin (PDO), which means that only food produced in a designated geographical place, with the knowledge of local growers can claim PDO status & be marketed as such…think Champagne or Parmigiano Reggiano.
Jersey Royal harvesting season starts in March but they are at their best in May through to June & according to the Jersey Royal website (yes, there is a website dedicated to this potato) Jersey exports up to 1,500 tonnes a day during peak season.
Recipe 01
Crushed Jersey Royals with fennel seed & chilli
I am really excited to be sharing this recipe because this is a go to dish in our house & there are so many variations if you’re not feeling the fennel seed & chilli that particular day, try garlic & rosemary or smoked paprika instead.
Unless you are The Rock, par-boiling the potatoes is a must…I dare you to try crushing an uncooked potato!
In this recipe, I have cooked the potatoes in the oven, however you could absolutely finish them in a cast iron skillet on the hob, a BBQ or in a pizza oven.
Ingredients
Serves 4
1kg Jersey Royal potatoes
1 tbsp fennel seed
1 tbsp chilli flakes
60ml olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper
Method
Pre-heat oven to 190°C
In a pan of salted boiling water, par-boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until a cutlery knife is easily inserted into the potato, then rinse & leave them to dry for 5 minutes.
While the potatoes are boiling, combine the olive oil, fennel seed & chilli flakes in a small bowl & set aside.
Once the potatoes have cooled a bit & dried off, place them on a chopping board & using the back of a fork, gently crush them. If you press too hard & the potato breaks up, don’t worry, these bits will go delicious & crispy when cooked.
Place the crushed potatoes on a baking tray and coat well in the olive oil, fennel seed & chilli.
Place in the oven for 35 minutes or until the potatoes are golden & crispy.
Season well with sea salt & black pepper before serving.
Recipe 02
Potato Salad (Two ways)
Is a picnic even a picnic if there isn’t an appearance by a potato salad?!
Here I give you not one, but two potato salad recipes.
One is my take on a classic potato salad with pickley cornichons & the second is a more indulgent option featuring roasted garlic & Comté cheese.
The Classic One
Ingredients
1kg Jersey Royal potatoes
100g mayonnaise
85g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
10 cornichons, roughly chopped
1 handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 handful chives, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
salt & black pepper
Method
Boil the Jersey Royal potatoes in salted water, around 10-15 minutes then drain & leave to cool.
Whilst the potatoes are cooling, place the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl & mix well then season with salt & pepper to taste.
Add the cooled potatoes to the mixture & serve.
The Indulgent One
Ingredients
1kg Jersey Royal potatoes
1 whole bulb garlic
85g mayonnaise
85g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
generous handful Comté cheese, grated
salt & pepper
Method
Wrap the whole garlic bulb in tinfoil & roast for 45 minutes at 150°C.
Boil the Jersey Royal potatoes in salted water, around 10-15 minutes then drain & leave to cool.
Once the potatoes are cool, add the roasted garlic (this should squeeze out of the cloves easily), mayonnaise, yoghurt & Dijon to a food processor & blitz to combine. Taste & season with salt & pepper.
Add the cooled potatoes to the mixture & serve.
I hope you enjoy these recipes & as always, I’d love to see any dishes you cook from A Bit More Seasoning x