Best quick spuds?

[Northbloke]

I love spuds...but hate peeling them and not too keen on jackets.

I love mash, I love roasties, I love chips, I love sautead (or leftovers fried up!). I prefer quick to long preparation.

Many years ago as a student I did all the Smash and oven chip thing and they were all pretty horrible. Not really tried that sort of thing recently. So have things moved on in the modern era on that front? Or can you buy decent ones that you can eat without peeling maybe a quick scrub?

So what spuds and method would you recommend to go with say chicken pie, veg and ??? or Sausage, beans and ???

[Sleepy nic]

We've got one of those Air fryers, and one of these,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/potato-chip-cutter

Quick wash, press them in the chip cutter and turn the air fryer on. Some salt and pepper and some of that flora spray and it churns out decent chips.

[bingybongy]

Frozen mash, preferably from Iceland.
Piece of piss.

[calibrax]

Frozen mash (a few minutes in microwave)
McCain Gorgeous Chips (not cheap but the best oven chips you'll ever taste)
Aunt Bessies roast potatoes

[Boo152]

Oven Wedges
Prep time about 1 minute.
Total cooking time about 17mins.
Kettle on to boil. Wash a couple of potatoes. Slice into wedges. In pan, cover with the boiling water, and bring back to boil. Meanwhile oven on at 200c and place a lightly oiled oven tray in. Continue simmering the wedges in pan for about 5 mins after bringing to boil. Drain. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and drizzle with oil. Shake pan to mix all. Tip into now sizzling oven tray. Tray back in oven for about 10 mins until perfectly
fluffy and crispy.

PS. Your sausages would also cook in the tray with the wedges in about the same time.

Edited by Boo152 on Saturday 8th March 23:46

[fttm]

calibrax said:

Frozen mash (a few minutes in microwave)
McCain Gorgeous Chips (not cheap but the best oven chips you'll ever taste)
Aunt Bessies roast potatoes

Step away now .

[calibrax]

fttm said:

calibrax said:

Frozen mash (a few minutes in microwave)
McCain Gorgeous Chips (not cheap but the best oven chips you'll ever taste)
Aunt Bessies roast potatoes

Step away now .

Yeah,I know, the real thing is much better. But for convenience, the above are certainly acceptable.

[Northbloke]

Thanks folks, just what I was looking for. I'll give them all a try.

I would never have believed they'd do frozen mash but googling suggests even Delia endorses it:

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient...

[Shaolin]

bingybongy said:

Frozen mash, preferably from Iceland.
Piece of piss.

An unusual condiment.

[Mobile Chicane]

Northbloke said:

Thanks folks, just what I was looking for. I'll give them all a try.

I would never have believed they'd do frozen mash but googling suggests even Delia endorses it:

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient...

I would never use frozen mash where the mash is part of the main event - eg. bangers and mash - but I think it's difficult to beat to top a pie.

[h0b0]

I used to deep fry oven chips. Always came out great

[KFC]

Why not just make mash without peeling the potatoes? Thats what I do, I prefer it and its far less hassle.

[trumptriple]

As above, skin on mash. Square Pie sell their mash like this in their branches too, saves them peeling hundreds of potatoes I guess.

[mrsshpub]

trumptriple said:

As above, skin on mash.

And it's tastier with the skins left on!

[pincher]

lepetitoeuf said:

Northbloke said:

I love spuds...but hate peeling them and not too keen on jackets.

I love mash, I love roasties, I love chips, I love sautead (or leftovers fried up!). I prefer quick to long preparation.

Many years ago as a student I did all the Smash and oven chip thing and they were all pretty horrible. Not really tried that sort of thing recently. So have things moved on in the modern era on that front? Or can you buy decent ones that you can eat without peeling maybe a quick scrub?

So what spuds and method would you recommend to go with say chicken pie, veg and ??? or Sausage, beans and ???

I love roasted new potatoes, but never bother cleaning them, just cut them into bite size chunks and oven roast for 45-60 mins.

I'm as ham-fisted (no pun intended) in the kitchen as it is possible to be but I did some roasted Charlotte potatoes yesterday and the kids loved them - cut them in half lengthways, sprinkle with parsley/oregano/whatever and put in a roasting tin for 40 minutes or so, having covered with olive oil and given them all a bit of a stir round.

[Mobile Chicane]

I've posted this recipe for Bombay Potatoes before. It's not particularly quick but a winner with curry, on it's own, as a sandwich filler, or with ham / sausages. Make double the quantity as it's incredibly moreish. It also freezes well.

For 4 to 6 people depending on appetites.

Ingredients

1 lb (450g) good quality potatoes with their skins on.
1 tsp turmeric
2 dry red chillies
8 curry leaves
2 medium onions, chopped fine
2 green finger chillies, chopped fine
2 oz (50g) chopped coriander
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp onion seed
1/2 tsp fennel seed
4 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
Lemon juice
Salt

Method

1. Wash potatoes (do not peel,) chop and boil with turmeric and salt until tender.
2. Drain potatoes and shake them around a bit to fluff up.
3. Heat oil in wok and fry chillies and curry leaves until chillies have darkened
4. Add the rest of the ingredients except potato and lemon and cook until onions are translucent
5. Add potatoes with a little water. Reduce heat on pan and stir potatoes and warm through
6. Add lemon juice, stir and serve.

[FiF]

Cannot beat Desiree for mashed potatoes.

For oven wedges one thing I always do is about ten minutes from the end take some folded up kitchen towel and remove as much as possible of any remaining olive oil that the wedges have been cooking in. Really dry things off then put it all back in. Really crisps up wonderfully.