BURIED TREASURES
COOK AND AUTHOR JULIA BUSUTTIL NISHIMURA UNEARTHS THE VERSATILITY OF THE HUMBLE POTATO.
Cookbook author Julia Busuttil Nishimura turns the humble potato into a range of comforting dishes.
POTATO, LEEK & PANCETTA TART
Serves 4–6 (See photograph, page 83) I make versions of this tart all year round, depending on what is in season — sometimes with pumpkin, other times zucchini. Autumn calls for new-season potatoes, which are perfect with leek and pancetta. The rough puff pastry is buttery and flaky, but if you’re short on time use a good-quality bought puff pastry instead. ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 leek, pale green and white part only, quartered lengthways 300g waxy potatoes (such as Bintje, Dutch Cream or Nicola), unpeeled
150g mascarpone 40g grated pecorino ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 50g flat pancetta, thinly sliced 1 egg, whisked fresh thyme sprigs, to serve ROUGH PUFF PASTRY 250g plain flour pinch of fine sea salt 250g cold unsalted butter, cubed 1½–2 tablespoons iced water
To make pastry, sift flour and sea salt onto a clean work surface. Toss butter through f lour until combined. Using a pastry scraper or round-bladed knife in a cutting motion, work butter into flour until buttery lumps are pea sized. (Take care not to overwork butter and flour — a few larger lumps of butter are fine.) Gradually add iced water, using a pastry scraper or your fingers to bring dough together until you are able to shape dough into a flat square. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 1 hour to rest. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface, then roll out into a 1.5cm-thick rectangle. Fold short edges towards centre so dough resembles an open book. Fold dough in half where edges meet in centre (like you are closing a book). Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 1 hour to rest. Repeat rolling, folding and resting steps a further 2 times. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface, then roll out to a 30cm x 25cm rectangle, about 5mm thick. Transfer to prepared tray. Using a small sharp knife, lightly score a 2cm border around edges of pastry rectangle. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Meanwhile, heat half of olive oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Gently cook leek, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes or until softened and beginning to colour. Season, then cool. Using a large sharp knife or mandolin, cut potatoes into 2mm-thick slices. Place in a bowl with remaining olive oil and mix until potato slices are coated with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread mascarpone evenly over chilled pastry rectangle, staying inside border. Sprinkle with pecorino and nutmeg, then top with leek. Neatly arrange half of potatoes, overlapping slightly, over tart. Top with pancetta and remaining potato slices. Using a pastry brush, brush border of tart with egg. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until tart is golden and puffed. Top with thyme and cut into pieces to serve.
GNOCCHI WITH ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES
Serves 4 A light touch and dry, starchy potatoes are the secret to soft, pillowy gnocchi. The trick is also knowing how much flour to add — every potato is different and the amount needed will depend on how much moisture they contain. Eventually, with practice, you won’t need to weigh out the flour and will be simply guided by the feel of the dough. Late summer tomatoes are an excellent companion to the potato gnocchi, with the rich and unctuous sauce coating each little dumpling. 750g cherry tomatoes ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil small handful of basil leaves 2 garlic cloves, peeled, roughly chopped 40g unsalted butter large pinch of sea salt finely grated parmesan, to serve extra basil leaves, to serve POTATO GNOCCHI 750g dry starchy potatoes (such as Russet Burbank, Nicola or Blue Moon), unpeeled ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg large pinch of fine sea salt 1 egg 150g 00 plain flour* To make gnocchi, place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to boil over a high heat, then cook for 20–25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside to cool and dry slightly. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into large pieces. Dust a clean work surface with flour. Using a potato ricer or mouli, puree potatoes onto floured surface. Sprinkle with nutmeg and sea salt. Crack egg over potato, then use your hands to mix until combined. Sprinkle a small amount of flour over potato mixture. Use a pastry scraper, round-bladed knife or your hands to incorporate flour into potato mixture, taking care not to overwork dough. Continue adding flour, a little at a time, until dough can be kneaded without sticking. (You may not need all the flour or you may need more. To test, add a small piece of dough to a saucepan of simmering water. If dough holds its shape, it’s ready. If it disintegrates, add a little more flour.) Gently roll out dough into a 1.5cm-thick rectangle. Cut dough into 1.5cm-wide strips and gently roll to form long, thin logs. Cut logs into 2cm pieces. Place gnocchi on a lightly floured tray until required. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place cherry tomatoes in a flameproof roasting pan with olive oil, basil, garlic and half of butter. Sprinkle with sea salt and toss to combine. Roast for 18–20 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften. Remove from oven. Add remaining butter to tomato mixture. Place pan over a medium heat and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes or until sauce is glossy and thickened. While sauce is simmering, cook gnocchi, in batches, in a large saucepan of generously salted simmering water (don’t let water boil too vigorously or gnocchi will break apart). Cook 6–8 gnocchi at a time for 2–3 minutes or until they rise to surface. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked gnocchi to pan with tomato sauce. (Add a little gnocchi cooking water to loosen tomato sauce if it becomes too dry.) Spoon gnocchi among serving bowls. Top with grated parmesan and extra basil leaves, and serve immediately. *A specialty flour ideal for making pasta and noodles. Available at most supermarkets. >
ROAST CHICKEN WITH POTATOES & MUSTARD
Serves 4–6 Pot-roasted chicken makes a regular appearance on our family table. Not only is it simple to prepare, it also offers instant comfort when the days begin to cool. Inspired by a meal I ate in the French countryside, the subtle sweetness of new-season potatoes combined with the creamy mustard sauce make for a standout dish. I often vary the herbs — thyme, oregano and sage are all wonderful substitutes for the tarragon. 500g Nicola potatoes, unpeeled 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 4 chicken supremes, French trimmed* 20g unsalted butter 2 eschalots, peeled, thinly sliced ¼ cup dry white wine 100ml pure cream 100ml chicken stock 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard 4 sprigs tarragon WALNUT GREMOLATA ¼ cup walnuts large handful of flat-leaf parsley 1 small garlic clove, peeled 1 lemon, rind finely grated
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to boil over a high heat and cook for 10–15 minutes or until almost tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, cut into halves or quarters and place in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss to combine. Season with sea salt. Pat chicken dry with paper towel and season with sea salt. Heat butter and remaining olive oil in a large flameproof casserole pan over a high heat. Cook chicken pieces, skin-side down, for 2–3 minutes or until golden. Turn and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of cooking fat from pan, then place over a medium heat. Cook eschalot, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes or until softened. Add wine and cook, scraping base of pan with a wooden spoon, until simmering. Add cream, stock, mustards and tarragon. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Return chicken pieces to pan, skin-side up, and nestle potatoes in gaps in between. Transfer to oven. Roast, uncovered, for 25–30 minutes. Increase heat to 200°C. Roast for a further 10 minutes or until potatoes are golden and juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into thickest part of chicken pieces. Transfer chicken and potatoes to a serving dish. Place pan over a medium heat and simmer for 2–3 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced. Season. Spoon sauce over potatoes and around chicken. Meanwhile, to make walnut gremolata, using a large sharp knife, finely chop walnuts, parsley and garlic together on a chopping board. Transfer to a small bowl. Add lemon rind and stir to combine. Sprinkle gremolata over chicken and potatoes to serve. *Boned chicken breasts, with skin and wings attached. Available at some butchers and specialty chicken shops. >
POTATO, EGG & BEAN SALAD
Serves 4–6 (See photograph, page 86) This potato salad is a real crowd pleaser. It’s bright and fresh with a zingy lemony dressing marrying everything together. For a more substantial meal, the anchovies can be replaced with smoked trout or seared tuna, or omitted altogether if you want to make it vegetarian. Dutch Creams are excellent mashing potatoes but are also wonderful in salads — they hold their shape and are full of flavour. If they’re unavailable, Desiree potatoes are a good alternative. 800g Dutch Cream potatoes, unpeeled 250g green and yellow beans, trimmed 4 eggs, at room temperature 6 good-quality tinned anchovy fillets large handful of mint leaves, torn large handful of dill sprigs 1 eschalot, peeled, thinly sliced 100ml extra virgin olive oil 1 lemon, juiced 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to boil over a high heat and cook for 10–15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Cool, then cut into large pieces. Meanwhile, blanch beans in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes or until tender crisp. Drain, then refresh in a large bowl of iced water. Drain. Bring a small saucepan of water to a gentle boil over a medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon, gently add eggs and cook for 8 minutes for soft-boiled or until cooked to your liking. Drain and transfer to iced water to stop cooking process. Peel and cut in half lengthways. Arrange potatoes and beans in a serving bowl. Top with eggs. Drape anchovy fillets over salad, and top with mint, dill and eschalot. Place olive oil, lemon juice and mustard in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Season to taste. Spoon dressing over salad and serve.
ITALIAN POTATO DOUGHNUTS
Makes 8 Reminiscent of doughnuts you find in the Neapolitan bars of Italy, the addition of potato not only adds flavour but gives an irresistible lightness to these fried treats. 1 (about 200g) waxy potato (such as Dutch Cream, Desiree or Bintje), peeled, quartered 100ml full-cream milk 500g 00 plain flour* 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast ⅓ cup caster sugar 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 vanilla bean, split lengthways, seeds scraped 80g unsalted butter, softened 1 lemon, rind finely grated 1 orange, rind finely grated vegetable oil, for deep-frying CINNAMON SUGAR 200g caster sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cook potato in a small saucepan of boiling water for 5–7 minutes or until tender. Drain. Transfer to a bowl. Mash with a fork until smooth. Cool slightly. Meanwhile, place milk in a small saucepan over a low heat until warm. Combine flour, yeast and caster sugar in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add warm milk, warm mashed potato, egg, vanilla seeds, butter, lemon rind and orange rind and mix on a low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and knead for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Lightly grease a large, clean bowl. Transfer dough to bowl and cover with a tea towel. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Alternatively, place dough in refrigerator overnight to rise. Return to room temperature before moving on to next step.) Using your hands or a pastry scraper, gently turn dough onto a floured work surface and roll out until 2cm thick. Using a 9cm-round doughnut cutter, cut out 8 doughnuts. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 45 minutes or until risen. Meanwhile, to make cinnamon sugar, combine caster sugar and cinnamon on a baking tray. Set aside. Add enough vegetable oil to a large saucepan to reach a depth of 10cm. Heat to 180°C over a medium-high heat (oil is ready when a cube of bread turns golden brown in 15 seconds). Cook doughnuts in batches for 3–4 minutes, turning halfway through, or until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Place doughnuts in cinnamon sugar and turn to coat. NOTE These doughnuts are best eaten on the day they’re made. Doughnut cutters are available at kitchenware stores and online. Alternatively, use 2 different-sized round cutters. *Available at most supermarkets.