One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, four..... Five potatoes, six potatoes, seven potatoes ... Give me much, much more!

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I just love potatoes. Looking at the recipes for today, I realise that I have been rather deprived of variety when it comes to potato dishes. Roast potatoes on the odd Sunday, mashed potatoes with bangers or fish cakes… occasionally, and potato salad if we were invited out for a braai. That is the sum total of my potato experience. Even the old favourite, fried fish and chips, has been modified to grilled fish and rice due to my Chlorestrol levels.

I’m going to twist my wife’s arm into trying some of these delicious sounding potato recipes. I hope you’ll try some of them as well, this festive season. Enjoy!

Potato hand pies

These pies are a wholesome, budget-friendly treat that are easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

  • butter, for greasing
  • 540 g cake flour
  • 10 g sachet instant dry yeast
  • 2 t salt
  • 1 T sugar
  • 2 cups warm water
  • oil, for deep-frying
  • For the filling:
  • 8 medium potatoes
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 t ginger-and-garlic paste
  • 1 T garam masala
  • 2 green chillies
  • 400 g can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 t sugar
  • 1-2 cups vegetable stock
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 t dried mixed herbs

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grease an enamel dish or bowl with butter. Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix. Add the water and knead until the dough is combined and does not stick to your hands. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size.

2. Knead for an additional 20–25 minutes, then allow to rise again.

3. Once the dough has risen again, cut and roll the dough into 15 x 10 cm pieces and set aside.

4. To make the filling, peel the potatoes and chop into bite-sized chunks. Place in a large saucepan, top with water and season with salt. Parboil for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.

5. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in a large pan until soft and fragrant. Add the spices and cook for a further minute. Add the tomatoes and sugar and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to coat in the sauce.

6. Pour in the stock, then season to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25–30 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Add the herbs and mash the potatoes.

7. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. While the oil is heating up, roll out each piece of dough to a thickness of 1/2 cm. Place 1 T filling onto one half of each piece, leaving enough space to fold over the other side. Fold and seal the edges with a fork.

8 Once the oil is hot enough, cook the pies in batches for 5–7 minutes, or until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

Baked mashed potato boats

This is extra special because it’s completely plant-based and every bit as indulgent as its dairy counterpart.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 medium potatoes, washed
  • ½ cup macadamia oil spread
  • sea and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 120 g dairy-free hard cheese, grated
  • 1 T paprika
  • Creamed spinach
  • 200 g baby spinach, washed
  • 1 cup rice milk
  • 2 T flour
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Pierce the potatoes with a fork and place on a baking tray. Bake until soft, about 30–35 minutes.

2. Slice the potatoes in half lengthways, scoop out the flesh and place in a bowl. Add half the macadamia oil spread, season and mash until smooth. Stir in half the grated cheese.

3. Place the hollowed potato halves back on the baking tray and spoon in the mashed potatoes. Top with the grated cheese, sprinkle with paprika and return to the oven and roast for 20–25 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.

4. To make the creamed spinach, melt the remaining macadamia oil spread in a pan and whisk in the flour until combined. Gradually add the rice milk, whisking continuously. Stir in the baby spinach and cook for an extra five minutes.

5. Season and dish onto a serving platter. Top with the potato boats and serve warm.

Smashed potatoes

Use any small potatoes – we chose baby Apache potatoes for their vibrant red skins and waxy yellow insides. Love leftovers? It’s worth doubling the recipe

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.4 kg small potatoes
  • 2 T salt
  • olive oil, for drizzling
  • ½ t freshly ground black pepper
  • 100 g capers, drained
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
  • 200 g pitted green olives, drained

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fill a saucepan with water and add the potatoes and salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender (a knife should easily pierce one). Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Drain the potatoes and place on a baking tray, then cover with the olive oil, black pepper, capers, lemon and olives.

3. Mix to make sure the potatoes are evenly coated with olive oil and that the capers and olives are evenly distributed. Mash the potatoes slightly with a fork and roast for 15–20 minutes, or until crispy and golden on the edges.

The modern potato bake

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 celeriac bulbs, peeled
  • 3 mediterranean potatoes, peeled
  • 2 T butter
  • Fresh nutmeg, for grating
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup cream
  • 200 g wood-smoked streaky bacon, chopped
  • 1 cup good-quality chicken stock
  • 100 g gorgonzola
  • 1 bulb fennel

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 180 C.  Slice both the celeriac bulbs and the potatoes into thin rounds.  Grease a square ovenproof dish with butter and layer some of the potato and celeriac slices on its base.

Grate fresh nutmeg on top, then season to taste and add a splash of cream.  Repeat until all the potato is finished.  Fry the chopped bacon in a pan over a high heat until crisp.

Remove from heat and set aside.  Pour the stock over the potato-celeriac mixture and sprinkle over half the cooked bacon.  Tear the Gorgonzola into chunks and dot on the surface of the bake.

Run the blade of a vegetable peeler along the fennel bulb to create shavings and use to top the bake.  Season and bake for 1 hour,  or until the potatoes are tender and the bake is golden and bubbling.

Remove and leave to cool slightly.  Scatter over the remaining bacon and serve.

Potato latkes

Serve these perfect potato latkes with sour cream and apple sauce for Hanukkah. They’re also delicious with smoked salmon, or as a base for eggs Benedict.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 kg potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 extra large free-range egg, beaten
  • 2 T flour
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
  • Sunflower or canola oil, for shallow frying
  • Thick sour cream, to serve
  • Sliced smoked salmon or ribbons, to serve
  • Apple sauce, to serve (optional)
  • Chives, to garnish (optional)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using a clean kitchen towel, squeeze any excess moisture from the grated potato. Turn into a bowl and mix with the onion, egg and flour. Season to taste. Heat the oil in a frying pan.

2. Drop spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the oil and fry until crisp and golden brown on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper.

3. Serve immediately with the sour cream and salmon (or apple sauce) on the side. Garnish with chives if you like.

Potato pizza

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 x 7 g yeast sachet
  • 1 t brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup lukewarm water
  • 500 g flour
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 2 – 3 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Olive oil
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • Mozzarella, sliced
  • Fresh rocket, for garnishing
  • Sliced red chilli, for garnishing

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in lukewarm water and allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Sift the flour and a pinch of sea salt into a large bowl, add the yeast-and-water mixture to the flour a little at a time and bring together using a fork.

Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, place in a oiled bowl and set aside for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes and fry until golden in a saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil, a few sprigs of thyme and season to taste.

Divide the dough into balls and roll out on a clean, floured surface, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 5 minutes.

Top with sliced mozzarella, the fried potatoes and sprinkle with sea salt, then bake until the cheese is bubbling and the base is cooked through.

Serve hot garnished with fresh rocket and sliced red chilli.

This easy pull-apart potato bread is a game-changer

This pillowy soft, potato bread is going to go down a treat with your winter soups – and the best part is, we’re using readymade potato mash to save time and add loads of flavour.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup milk
  • 110 g butter, melted, plus extra for brushing
  • 170 potato mash
  • 240 g cake flour
  • 345 g bread flour
  • 1 t Maldon salt
  • 4½ t instant yeast
  • 1 T rosemary, chopped
  • 3 T sugar
  • 2 free-range eggs, beaten
  • 1 free-range egg yolk
  • 650 g spicy vegetable and chickpea medley, to serve

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the milk, butter and mash in a bowl and whisk to combine.

2. Place the flour, salt, yeast, rosemary and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached and mix to combine.

3. With the mixer running at low speed, add the milk mixture, then add the eggs.

4. Knead at a medium speed for 5–8 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and glossy.

5. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and prove in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

6. Lightly oil your hands and work surface and tip out the dough. Gently knock down.

7. Weigh out 11 x 100 g portions of dough and roll each portion into a neat ball.

8. Grease a 28 cm cast-iron pan or similar sized baking dish and place the dough balls inside. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Prove uncovered for 15 minutes.

9. Bake at 180°C for 20–30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Serve warm with a spicy vegetable and chickpea medley

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