Best In Season - April - written by Chef Consultant, Celia Brooks
Spring’s super spud: Jersey Royal potatoes
There are two distinctly British vegetables that come into season this month that are better than any in the world, in my humble opinion: asparagus (which I’ve waxed lyrical about previously) and Jersey Royal new potatoes.
What’s so special about Jersey Royals? They simply taste incomparably sweet and creamy. They are everything you want from a potato concentrated and multiplied into dense little golden nuggets with soft, flaky skins.
As the name suggests, they are a unique crop hailing exclusively from Jersey. The island’s special microclimate and soil are ideal for mid-winter planting which results in a spring crop. They are planted on sun-drenched south-facing slopes and fertilised with seaweed from the island’s shores. It all adds up to a potato like no other, which, like asparagus, can only be relished in its short season that ends in mid-summer.
Also like asparagus, Jersey Royals taste sweeter when eaten as soon as possible after harvesting. They are likely to get to your local market within a few days of harvesting, their skins still delicate and papery. Never peel them - just rinse or scrub lightly if necessary to remove any dirt.
Jersey Royals are not for every potato recipe - it would be a shame to turn them into mash or soup. Keep them whole and boil in well-salted water, then eat hot, or cool them down and use in a potato salad (see below). Or roast them whole with sea salt and woody herbs like thyme and rosemary - either on their own, or with a selection of other root veg, or a Mediterranean mix such as peppers, courgettes and onion wedges.
Slightly larger Jerseys (walnut-sized or bigger) lend themselves well to one of my favourite potato treatments that I call roadkill potatoes - because they look like they’ve been run over by a lorry. Otherwise known as smashed potatoes, or crash hot potatoes, it’s a simple treatment that results in gorgeous little flat spuds with super-crisp edges.
Here’s how it’s done: Boil the potatoes whole in well salted water until tender throughout. Cool. Line and generously oil a baking tray (cold-pressed British rapeseed oil is perfect). Roll the spuds in the oil, then use the bottom of a sturdy glass or mug to gently squash the potatoes to about 1cm thickness. Brush with more oil and add sea salt and black pepper. Bake at 250C on the bottom oven rack for 10 minutes, then move to the middle rack for 8-10 minutes, until nice & crisp.
Saffron Potato Salad
From New Vegetarian, by Celia Brooks
This is a truly elegant potato salad. No mayo here! Creme fraiche and yoghurt are enhanced with saffron and lemon zest and studded with capers and spring onions - a fitting adornment for the regal Jersey Royals. I might add that this was a favourite dish of Stanley Kubrick, who I worked for as a private chef in my early years.
Ingredients
1 kg Jersey Royal baby new potatoes, washed
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. capers in vinegar, drained
125g / ½ cup creme fraiche
125g / ½ cup yoghurt
1 tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. saffron threads, soaked in 1 tsp. hot water
salt and pepper
snipped chives to garnish
Method
1. Boil the potatoes in well-salted water until tender, drain and cool completely.
2. To make the dressing, combine all ingredients except the chives and mix thoroughly. Stir the dressing through the potatoes and leave for a while in the fridge to develop flavour, and to infuse the saffron. Serve sprinkled with snipped chives.
