10 Great Potato Starters and Snacks

New Potatoes With Mock Caviar and Cream Cheese

Ingredients
to make 30

30 small new potatoes
200g/1cup full-fat
cream cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 jar Danish black mock caviar ( lumpfish roe)
1 jar salmon roe
salt and freshly ground black pepper
dill sprigs, to garnish

Method

For 20 minutes cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water .
Drain through a colander and then trim off both ends of each potato.
Sit the potatoes on the cut end.
Beat the cream cheese and parsley together and season.
Spoon the mixture on to the potatoes and top with a little mock caviar and salmon roe. Sprinkle with dill.

Potato Blinis

Ingredients
serve 6

115g potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 tbsp easy-blend dried yeast
175g plain flour
oil for greasing
6 tbsp soured cream
6 slices smoked salmon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
lemon slices, to garnish

Method

Mix together the potatoes, yeast, flour and 300ml/ 11/4 cups hand-hot water.
Put it a side to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes, until the mixture has doubled in size.
Preheat a pan with some oil, drop spoonfuls of the mixture on to the hot pan.
Cook the blinis for 2 minutes until lightly golden, toss with a spatula and cook the other side until golden. Season to taste
Serve with a little soured cream and a small slice of smoked salmon folded on top. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and a slice of lemon.

Potato Skewers with Mustard Dip

Ingredients
serve 4

For the dip
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp lemon juice
300ml/ 11/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp whole-grain mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the skewers
1kg small new potatoes ( new or salad)
200g shallots, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sea salt

Method

Prepare the barbecue for cooking the skewers before you begin.
To make the dip.
Place the garlic, egg yolks and lemon juice in a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process until the mixture is smooth.
Keep the blender running and add the oil very gradually, pouring it in a thin stream, until the mixture forms a thick, glossy cream. Add the mustard and stir the ingredients together, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Chill until ready to use.
par-boil the potatoes in their skins in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Drain well and then thread them on to metal skewers haltering with the shallots.
Brush the skewers with oil and sprinkle with salt.
Cook over a barbecue for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve with the dip.

Potato Skins with Cajun Dip

Ingredients
serve2

2 large baking potatoes
vegetable oil, for deep frying
For the dip
1/2 cup natural yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp tomato purée
1/2 tsp green chili purée
1/4 tsp celery salt
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC gas 4.
Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, or cook them in the microwave for 10 minutes.
Cut them in half and scoop out the flesh, leaving a thin layer on the skins.
To make the dip, mix together all the ingredients and chill.
Heat a 1 cm of oil in a large saucepan or deep-fat-fryer.
Cut each potato half in half again, then fry them until crisp and golden on both sides.
Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve with a bowl of dip.

Mini Baked Potatoes with Blue Cheese

Ingredients
makes 20

20 small new or salad potatoes
4 tbsp vegetable oil
coarse salt
1/2 cup 120ml soured cream
25g blue cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives, for sprinkling

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC gas 4.
Wash and dry the potatoes. Pour the oil into a bowl. Add the potatoes and toss to coat well with oil.
Dip the potatoes in the coarse salt to coat lightly.
Spread out the potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
Combine the soured cream and blue cheese.
Cut a cross in the top of each potato. press gently with your fingers to open the potatoes.
Top each potatoes with a dollop of the cheese mixture. It will melt down into the potato nicely. Sprinkle with chives. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Indian Potato Pancakes

Ingredients
to make 10

300g of potatoes, grated
11/2 tsp garam masala or curry powder
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chutney and relishes, to serve

Method

Don't grate the potatoes too soon before use as the flesh will quickly turn brown.
Using your hands, squeeze the excess liquid from the grated potatoes and pat dry.
Place the dry, grated potatoes in a separate bowl and add the spices, spring onions, egg white and seasoning, stir to combine.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil.
Drop tbsp of the potato on the pan and flatten out with the back of a spoon.
Cook for a few minutes and then flip the pancakes over. Cook for a further 3 minutes.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve with chutney and relishes.

Potato Pizza

Ingredients
serves 4

1kg floury potatoes
120ml/1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
350g tomatoes, chopped
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Cook the potatoes in boiling water, in their skin, drain well and leave to cool slightly. When they are cool enough to handle, peel and mash them.
beat in 3 tbsp of the oil and season to taste. Set aside.
Heat another 3 tbsp of the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and the chopped tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring to cook evenly, until the tomatoes soften and begin to dry out.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC Gas 6.
Oil a round shallow baking dish.
Spread half the mashed potatoes into the dish in an even layer. Cover with the tomatoes, and dot with the chopped anchovies and the capers.
Spread over the rest of the potatoes in an even layer . Brush the top with the remaining oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Sprinkle with black pepper and serve hot.

Polpettes

Ingredients
serve4

500g floury potatoes
1 cup feta cheese
4 spring onions, chopped
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 egg beaten
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
plain flour, for dredging
3 tbsp olive oil
dill sprigs, to garnish
shredded spring onions, to garnish
lemon wedges, to serve.

Method

Cook the potatoes in boiling water, in their skin, drain well and leave to cool slightly, then chop them in half and peel while still warm.
Place in a bowl and mash. Crumble the feta cheese into the potatoes and add the spring onions, dill. egg and lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, the cheese is salty, so taste before adding salt.
Cover and chill until firm.
Divide the mixture into walnut-size balls, then flatten them slightly.
Dredge with flour, shaking off the excess.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the polpettes in batches until golden brown on both sides.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot, garnished with spring onions, dill and lemon wedges.

Savoury Potato Cakes

Ingredients
serve4

450g waxy potatoes
1 small onion grated
4 slices streaky bacon, finely chopped
2 tbsp self-raising flour
2 eggs, beaten
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
salt and freshly ground black pepper
parsley, to garnish

Method

Coarsely grate the potatoes, rinse drain and pa dry on kitchen paper, then mix with the onion, half the bacon, flour, eggs and seasoning.
Heat a 1 cm of oil in a large saucepan or deep-fat-fryer until very hot, then add about 1 tbsp of the potato mixture and quickly spread the mixture out with the back of the spoon taking care that it does not break up.
Add a few more spoonfuls of the mixture in the same way, leaving space between each one so they do not stick together, and fry them for 6-7 minutes until golden on each sides.
Drain on kitchen paper. Fry the remaining parsley and bacon and serve sprinkled over the hot cakes.

Sweet Potato Crisps

Ingredients
serve 4

2 medium sweet potatoes
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
salt

Method

Peel the sweet potatoes under cold running water, cut into 3mm thick slices with a sharp knife or vegetable slicer and place in a bowl of salted cold water. Heat a 1 cm of oil in a large saucepan or deep-fat-fryer until very hot, pat dry on kitchen paper and fry a few slices at a time until crisp. Sprinkle with salt. and serve hot or cold.