Poppy O' Toole's Christmas potato masterclass
Whether you like them roasted, baked, mashed or boiled - the humble spud is sure to take pride of place on every festive table. The Queen of Potatoes herself Poppy O' Toole is in the kitchen with her masterclass in perfecting your Christmas spuds!
From crispy roast potatoes, to the retro hasselback and even a dauphinoise, Poppy has something to suit every potato loving guest this Christmas with recipes taken from her book, Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Air Fryer Cookbook.
The ultimate roasties
Serves: 2
Ingredients
4 Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into equal sized chunks100ml vegetable oilPlenty of salt
Method
1. Place the potatoes into cold salted water and boil for 10-15 minutes until falling off the tip of the knife. You don't want them too mushy as they won't hold their shape.
2. Drain off the potatoes and leave to steam dry in the colander with a tea towel over for a further 10-15 minutes. This makes them extra fluffy!
3. Preheat the oven to 220°C Fan/475°F/Gas Mark 9 and get the oil into a baking tray and get it into the oven to get hot.
4. Once the potatoes are ready, give them a good toss in the tray to fluff them up and then carefully pour into the hot tray with the oil.
5. Cook for 20 minutes then remove from the oven. Turn the heat down to 180°C Fan/ 400°F /Gas Mark 6.
6. Give the potatoes a turn and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. You may need less/more time so keep an eye out.
7. Once golden and crunchy, they are ready to go! Sprinkle with a little more salt and enjoy the ultimate roasties!
Air fryer roast potatoes
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
4 Maris Piper, Russet or red skin potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters2 tbsp vegetable oil1 tsp fine salt
Method
1. Heat the air fryer to 160°C/ 325°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, toss the potatoes in the oil and salt, and tip them into the air fryer basket.
3. Cook for 30 minutes, giving them a good shake every 10 minutes, and even poke them with a fork if you want to fluff up the insides further.
4. Increase the heat to 200°C/ 400°F and cook for a further 6 minutes, until golden and crispy.
TIP: Once the roasties are cooked, you can add finely grated Parmesan, chopped rosemary, and a sprinkle of olive oil, sea-salt flakes and black pepper.
Air fryer hasselbacks
Serves: 6
Ingredients
6 medium-large Maris Piper, Russet or red skin potatoes1 tbsp vegetable oil6 small knobs of butterSea salt
Method
1. Heat the air fryer to 200°C/400°F.
2. Place a wooden spoon either side of the first potato (along each long side). Now slice across the potato along its length at 2–3mm or 1/16 inch intervals, using the spoon handles to stop you cutting all the way through. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
3. Place the potatoes into the air fryer basket and drizzle the oil all over, then heavily season them with salt.
4. Cook for 20–25 minutes, then add a knob of butter to each potato and return to the fryer for a further 15–20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked all the way through. (Use a sharp knife to test for doneness – if there is still resistance, keep cooking in 5-minute intervals until they’re done).
TIP: Try using different flavoured butters to enhance the experience. Or glazing them in honey and garlic, sticky soy sauce, or even buffalo sauce for an extra kick.
Dauphinoise
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 white onion3 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole500ml double cream1 kg Maris Piper potatoesSalt and freshly ground black black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 150°C Fan/ Gas 3.
2. Remove the top and bottom of the onion, peel and finely slice it. Remove the skin from the garlic and slice.
3. Place the double cream, onion, garlic and plenty of salt and pepper in a saucepan and get it onto a medium heat so that it comes up to the boil.
4. While that’s on, peel and slice the potatoes into 5mm/¼ inch thick slices.
5. Once the cream and onion mixture has come to the boil, take it off the heat and add the sliced potatoes and give it a good mix. Leave to cool slightly.
6. Carefully tip the potato mixture into an oven dish and try to make sure all the potato slices are flat in the tray. Cut a piece of parchment paper to size and place it on top before putting it in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
7. After 30 minutes, remove the parchment and return to the oven for a further 50 minutes, or until golden-brown on top.