“I appreciate the potato only as a protection against famine, except for that, I know of nothing more eminently tasteless.”
So said the greatest of gastronomes..... 'Jean Anthelme Brillat Savarin' ....who it seems was really more interested in the psychology of eating rather than the food itself......surprising for a French man!
Most Irish people should find that quote highly insulting as it seems to imply that anyone who holds the humble 'spud' in esteem is a few potatoes short of a full sack!
It also stirs memories of the unfortunate history of our country and the great hunger that occurred between 1845 and 1852 when 1 million died from starvation and another million fled the land, many of them only to die on the 'coffin' ships taking them to the new world and a supposedly better life far from the harsh political system that forced them to rely on the potato as a means of nourishment.
Since those terrible times Ireland has remained loyal to the 'life saving' potato, and the extended diaspora around the world has carried this legacy with them so that even today, Ireland or the Irish are rarely mentioned without potatoes coming into it somewhere!
It is a sad fact that even today our Irish family is spread far and wide across the world and though many of our natives who have left these shores only in recent years or even months will carry with them the tastes and flavours of their childhoods, inevitably the cultures of their 'new' countries will begin to seep in and alter here and there those dishes that signify much of what reminds them of home.
I too was a part of the great economic exodus in the 1980's though unlike myself, many of my friends at that time have yet to return 'home' except for occasional holidays.
Living in a new culture does broaden your horizons and inspirationally it can be a good thing.
The dish I have chosen in honour of National Potato Day comprises not only our beloved potato but all that the Irish hold dear and view as quintessentially 'Irish' when it comes to our national dishes but with a Swiss twist!.
It is a dish full of wonderful flavours from combining potatoes, kale, bacon, cream, cheese and the essential scallions!.......eat your heart out J.A.B Savarin!
All the elements of the dish are cooked separately and can be left to cool or even refrigerated until ready for use which makes it a great 'throw together any time' dish, do be wary though that some potatoes can go black if undercooked and left in the fridge! I find the good old maris piper works a treat as it is a nice dry potato, grates well and doesn't go 'black'.
Colcannon Rosti
you will need: feeds 6
800 g potatoes
300 g curly kale OR savoy cabbage or any green cabbage you like
3 stalks of scallions
250 g smoked streaky bacon or lardons of bacon
300 ml single cream
1 large clove garlic
100 g swiss raclette cheese which usually comes sliced...or cheddar
you will also need a really big mixing bowl in which to mix everything together!
How to:
- wash the potatoes but leave the skin on, put them on to cook in cold water, bring to the boil and cook gently until almost done approx 15 minutes or so....they should still be firm in the middle, we don't want them too soft as we want to be able to grate them without them falling apart! when cooked, drain and leave to cool
- cut the bacon into strips and fry until crisp, pour into a large bowl...bacon fat and all! and leave aside to cool
- shred the kale or cabbage in thin strips and cook in boiling salted water, drain and cool then add to the bacon.... mix well to get all those bacon flavours through the cabbage.
assembling the dish:
- trim, wash and slice the scallions nice and thin
- remove the skins from the potatoes and grate them into a large bowl, add the cabbage, bacon and scallions
- pour the cream into a jug, crush the garlic and add to the cream along with just a little salt but a nice bit of freshly milled black pepper, and mix well
- pour the cream over the potatoes and cabbage, mix it all together really well, don't press too hard though or you'll end up with mashed potato, we want to see some of the grated potato through the dish! so I recommend using a fork to do the mixing rather than a spoon or your hands.
- transfer your mixture to a deep oven proof dish and spread it evenly
- top with the cheese and bake in the oven 180 degrees centigrade until golden on top
Rosti is a dish that originated in Switzerland where fried grated potato was eaten for breakfast and was served with a fried egg on top!.....I've tried it that way but it's not really my cup of tea, however you may like it so why not give it a go.............'En guete' as they say in Switzerland!
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| Swiss breakfast style rosti |
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