Potatoes are used in cuisines and recipes all around the world as a staple food.
We looked up all the different recipes using potatoes all around the world, and found there were rather a lot. There are too many to list here, but some from our neighbours in Europe include; French Dauphinoise, Spanish Omelette, Greek Skordalia, Italian Gnocchi and Irish Colcannon. Can you think of any others?
Potatoes are very versatile and can be cooked with different methods; roasted, mashed, fried, steamed, baked. In fact all the dishes we’ve listed above invite you to cook potatoes in these different ways.
There are many different varieties of potato too, and whether a potato is starchy or waxy will effect how it is cooked.
For a fun potato recipe for children, try our potato pizza recipe activity pack
Garden Museum Potato Pizza Recipe
We also wanted to show you the versatility of the potato can start on the chopping board. Here are 3 interesting ways to chop a potato. For all 3 ways we have used a starchy baking potato.
Fries
The classic fries – or maybe you call them chips? Chopping these is a good way to practice your knife skills. In restaurants and takeaways chips are usually deep fried in oil. At home you can bake them in the oven in a little oil and salt. These chips take around 30 minutes to bake at 180C (fan)
Hasselback Potatoes
Are neither a jacket potato or a chip. Cooked this way they are crisp, but with a soft centre. They are named after a restaurant called Hasselbacken in Stockholm, Sweden. A chef invented them there way back in 1953, but they’ve become more popular recently due to the way food trends are easily shared across the world on Instagram.
To cut a Hasselback potato you make cuts into the potato, almost down to the base, but leaving the whole potato attached. The increased surface area from the cuts absorbs more butter and oil, so the outer bits go crisp and the inner potato stays soft.
To bake a potato in this way, rub a little oil and salt on the potato after you have cut it as shown in the video and then bake it in the oven at 180C (fan) for 40-45 minutes. After 45 minutes the potato should have opened out a bit, and you can add a little melted butter into the gaps. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes until it is crispy and cooked through. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your potato.
Waffle Crisps
Have you ever wondered how crisps have a ridged texture, or have those small waffle holes? You will need a mandoline with a crinkle cut, which is very sharp. These are tricky to bake to perfection in a home oven as there is a fine line between raw and burnt crisps. They will need around 15-20 minutes at 180C (fan), again with a little oil and salt. It sometimes helps if you soak the potatoes in water and drain before cooking to remove some of the starch.
Content by Food Learning Officer, Ceri Jones