Potatoes and some news

Simple potato dishes, and why I'm moving my writing to Substack

Image: Issy Croker

Hello,

How are you?

This week I wanted to share some potato recipes, and news of a small change that's happening here on my newsletter (which is why this week’s might look different.)

But first I want to say thanks. I am so proud of this newsletter - it's been going for 10 years now and is subscribed to by tens of thousands of you. It's where I feel most at home. Where I share the things which are most meaningful to me (from ceramic lemons to protest banners) and where I have space to write in a longer form which feels nice. It's the thing I am most proud of and the part of my work I get the most compliments about.

I want to create a kind, supportive little bit of the internet and I am so glad that you are here. The number of you reading this newsletter has grown (which is a thrill), and as it has so has the amount that I pay to send it out well as paying Jess and Rachael who help me with it. I’ve loved doing that but there seems to be a better way. So I’ve decided to move my newsletter over to Substack.

This will not change anything for you and there is no action you need to take. You will still receive my free newsletter every 2 weeks and it will remain the same round-up of what I’m cooking and the things that I love from all parts of my life.

If you are new to Substack, it is how I send you my newsletter. But there is an opportunity to make it more of an online magazine that you can curate, giving you access to all the writers you love and would like to support. It’s where a lot of the writing I love now sits from Alicia Kennedy to Molly Wizenberg, from Vittles to Alison Roman.

This newsletter will also now become the home for all my new recipes and writing on things which go further than food as well as seasonal ingredients and step-by-steps on how I cook when I have people over.

As well as the free newsletter, there will be two posts a month which will be for paid subscribers. Paid subscribers support my work on a monthly or yearly basis which will amount to about the cost of a coffee per month. It's a way of keeping my writing going and supporting the two brilliant women who help me put the newsletter together.

And of course if you would like a paid subscription but the numbers don’t add up then please email me no questions asked and I’ll add you to the everything list.

I won’t be turning on paid subscriptions for a month or so, so for now everything is free.

I am excited to mark ten years being a published writer (A Modern way to Eat came out 10 years ago this week) with this new chapter in my writing.

And of course there is a recipe.

Potato is my personality. This week I cooked a big pot of Jersey Royals, though any potato would do, and we ate them throughout the week with different dressing and veg on the side. Asparagus, eggs, tomatoes. They went into a sort of Nicoise, we baked some in salt and oil then dipped them into aioli. So today, I offer you potatoes and four ways to make them sing.

Thanks so much for being here, it means the world to me,

Anna x

Simple Jersey Royals with four dressings

Serves 4 as a side dish

1kg jersey royal or other new potatoes, scrubbed clean
Salt

Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with plenty of cold water. Add a big pinch of salt, put on the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes (you may need longer for bigger potatoes), or until a knife slides into their flesh easily.

Drain the potatoes well and return to the heat for 2 minutes, to steam away their moisture. Serve with a big dollop of butter, or one of the toppings below.

For the aioli
2 egg yolks
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
250ml rapeseed oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed

Start with all your ingredients at room temperature. Put a damp tea towel beneath a mixing bowl (or use a food processor). Add the egg yolks, salt, mustard and lemon juice. Whisk together for a few minutes.

Add the oil, drip by drip, while whisking vigorously at the same time. Go slowly: your mayonnaise may split if you rush this stage. As the mixture thickens, you can add it more quickly, in a thin, steady stream.

Once you have incorporated all the oil, give the mayonnaise a really good stir and add the crushed garlic cloves. Keep it refrigerated until you are ready to eat.

For the summer tartare
2 egg yolks
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
250ml rapeseed oil
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped
1 tbsp cornichons, rinsed and chopped
½ bunch tarragon, finely chopped
½ bunch chives, finely chopped

Follow the above method for the aioli, but instead of adding the garlic at the end, add the chopped capers, cornichons and herbs, and stir well.

Image: Issy Croker

For the salmoriglio
½ bunch of marjoram or oregano, leaves picked and finely chopped
½ bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped very finely
Zest and juice of 1 lemon,
A pinch of salt
150ml extra virgin olive oil

Combine the herbs, lemon zest and juice, add a big pinch of salt and stir in the olive oil. Set aside to allow the flavours to mingle before serving.

For the quick bravas sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
500g cherry tomatoes, halved (or 400g tin of chopped tomatoes)
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium heat, add the onion and cook until soft.

Add the chilli, salt and smoked paprika and stir until you can really smell the spices.

Add the tomatoes and cook until they are soft and completely broken down (use a spatula to help them). Add the honey and sherry vinegar, season to taste and stir through the parsley.

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