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Susan Jung

I love potatoes in most forms, including McDonald's fries. If I'm alone for dinner I often make a baked potato, which I eat dripping with butter and sour cream and sprinkled with crunchy sea salt and black pepper. If I'm cooking for guests, I make slightly more complex dishes.

Potato Salad

Growing up in California often meant going to the beach at weekends. I hated going to the beach, but we went because my brothers loved it. The only thing that made it bearable was the food, usually cold chicken and potato salad. I still associate potato salad with outdoor dining - it's great for picnics and boat trips.

Best for this are new potatoes. Boil them whole and unpeeled, then cut into chunks and toss with the dressing while hot - they absorb more flavour this way. You can remove the skin after they are boiled, although I like to leave it on. For the mayonnaise, only Hellman's will do.

1 kilo new potatoes

1 slightly heaped tbsp grainy mustard

2 tbsp mild wine vinegar

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 shallots, peeled, halved and sliced thin

2 stalks of celery, diced

1/2-3/4 cup Hellman's mayonnaise

2 tbsp lemon juice

Chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes until tender but do not overcook. Drain the potatoes and immediately peel (if desired) and cut into quarters or large chunks. Mix together the mustard, vinegar and olive oil, and toss with the potatoes while they're still hot. Let them sit, uncovered, tossing occasionally to mix with the dressing. When the potatoes are cool, stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and lots of pepper. Toss with the potatoes, shallots, celery and parsley. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Refrigerate for about an hour so flavours can blend.

Dauphinoise Potatoes

This is one of my favourite side dishes. It's rich, so should be served with something light and simple. I use the smooth- skinned, local variety of potatoes because the slices absorb the cream and don't fall apart.

1.5 kilos local potatoes, about six large

3 cups heavy cream

3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin

60 grams grated parmesan cheese

Salt, freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add salt. Peel the potatoes and cut in slices about 3mm thick, discarding the end pieces. Simmer the potato slices for about three minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Pour the cream into a heavy saucepan and add garlic, salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Bring to the boil then lower heat and simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Lightly butter or oil a 3cm deep baking pan about 25x20cm. Put in an even layer of potatoes to cover the bottom of the pan, drizzle in 1/3 of the cream mixture then sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated parmesan. Repeat twice with remaining ingredients to make three layers of potato, cream and cheese. Heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Bake the potatoes for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and bubbling, and the potatoes have absorbed most of the cream. Serve hot or warm.

Brik

Brik is a Tunisian pastry made with thin sheets of dough similar to filo, and wrapped around a variety of fillings, including canned tuna, meat or eggs. I like to wrap the filo around flavoured mashed potatoes in which I make a deep indentation and add a whole egg yolk. The pastries are deep fried, and when you bite into them the yolk oozes out. You can omit the egg and make these into cylinders, brush them with butter and bake at 180 degrees until brown.

This is a good way to use leftover mashed potatoes but they can't have too much cream or butter or the filling will be too moist. Use any strong cheese.

6 sheets filo, thawed

120 grams unsalted butter, melted

Oil, for frying

For the filling:

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 tbsp olive oil

4 shallots, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-4 tbsp cream

Strong cheese, to taste

6 small or medium-size eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender - do not overcook or the filling will be mushy. Drain thoroughly and mash while hot. Heat the olive oil and cook the shallots and garlic until soft. Add to the potatoes, then mash in the cream, cheese, salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature, then divide into six portions.

Start heating the oil in a pan deep enough to fry the pastries. Melt the butter. Put one sheet of filo on a flat surface and cover the remaining sheets with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Brush the sheet of filo evenly but lightly with butter then fold in half lengthwise. Brush with more butter then fold in half width-wise so you have a rectangle.

Set aside under a clean cloth and repeat with remaining sheets. When all sheets are ready, line them up with one of the short sides facing you. Put one portion of the potatoes on the upper third of the filo and make a deep indentation. Break the eggs one at a time, discard the white, and put a whole yolk in each indentation. Fold the upper part over the filling. Brush the lower part lightly with butter and fold it up and over the filling, enclosing it as tightly as you can without breaking the yolk. Brush the sides with butter and make a short, tight fold at the edges so the filling doesn't leak.

When the oil is hot (200 degrees), carefully add the filo packs but do not crowd the pan (do this in batches if necessary). Use a metal ladle to scoop up oil and pour it over the packs. Continue until the pastries are medium brown, 3-5 minutes. Drain on paper towels then serve hot.

Styling Leonie van Hasselt

Picture Loena Kotze



Vegging out