Hash Brown

Peel and grate the potatoes. Put them in a tea towel and squeeze most of the moisture out. Mince the onion, add to the potato and season with salt. In a heavy based frying pan over medium heat, add the oil (don’t let it smoke). Add 2 heaped tablespoon of the mixture and flatten it into a round. You can make as many as you can fit into the pan. When they get golden and crispy on one side, flip them over until the other side is also done. You can also make one big hash brown and cut it into portions.

Bangers and Mash

Quarter the potatoes and boil them in salted water until soft. Slowly fry the sausages, in a heavy based frying pan over a medium heat, turning them from time to time until firm and cooked (20min). If you want to speed up the process, you can cover the pan for a few minutes. Set aside and keep warm. For the gravy, slice the onions thinly and stir fry them in the sausage pan with butter until softened and golden. Stir in the sugar and flour. Once incorporated, add the vinegar and wine and boil to release the alcohol. Pour the stock/water and let the gravy cook uncovered until reduced and slightly thickened. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Finish the mash: drain the hot potatoes and mash them in the pan. Add the milk over a medium heat. Turn the heat off and stir in the butter, seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve the bangers on the mash and dress them with the gravy.

Fish Pie

Peel, quarter and boil the potatoes until soft. Drain and mash them with the 3 tablespoon butter and 1/2 cup milk. Season well. Cut the fish it into cubes (removing the bones). In a saucepan, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, cloves, bay leaves and 3 cups of milk. Bring it to the boil and then simmer for 10 min. Poach the whole prawns in the liquid for 3-4min. Drain and set the milk aside to cool. Peel the prawns and discard the rest. Boil the eggs for 8min until hard. Cool them down in cold water, peel and cut into slices. Melt the remaining butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1min over a medium heat. Start pouring the milk in gradually, stirring strongly until blended. Cook for 5min, stirring constantly. When thickened, season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat the oven to 200C. Line the fish cubes and cooked shrimp in an ovenproof dish. Pour in the sauce, chopped parsley and line with the egg slices. Spoon the mash over the mixture, fluff the top with a fork and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 mins until golden.

Cottage Pie

Dice the onion, carrot and celery. In a heavy based frying pan over high heat, stir-fry them until soft (about 4min). Add the meat and garlic, stir for a further 4min until brown. Pour in the wine and let it reduce almost completely. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, the herbs tied with a string (bouquet garni), the stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the thickened. Season well with salt and pepper.

Boil the potatoes, skin on, until you can easily stick a knife through them. Strain, peel and mash with butter. Stir in the egg yolks and season with salt and pepper.

Pull out the tied herbs and spoon the meat into the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Layer the mash all over it and form peaks with a fork. Sprinkle it with the parmesan cheese and bake in a 180C/350F oven for about 20min, until golden.

Basic Potato Gnocchi

Boil the potatoes with the skin on until soft when pierced with a knife. Drain and peel them while still hot (hold them with a tea towel). Mash and pass them through a sieve. Add a pinch of salt and the flour and egg. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic (add a bit more flour if it seems too sticky, but not too much). Cut and shape the dough into long 2cm diameter cylinders. Cut it into 2cm pieces. Lightly roll each gnocchi with the back of a fork, to create little patterns. Boil them in salted water until they rise to the surface.

Potato Spinach Gnocchi with Butter and Parmesan

Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 20s and transfer to a bowl with iced water. Drain, squeezing out as much liquid as possible, and chop. Boil the potatoes with the skin on until soft when pierced with a knife (about 25min). Drain and peel them while still hot (hold them with a tea towel). Mash and pass them through a sieve. Add a pinch of salt, the spinach, eggs and flour. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic (add a bit more flour if it seems too sticky, but not too much). Cut and shape the dough into long 2cm diameter cylinders. Cut it into 2cm pieces. Lightly roll each gnocchi with the back of a fork, to create little patterns. Boil them in salted water until they rise to the surface. Drain and, while still hot, mix them in a bowl with the butter, grated parmesan cheese and season with pepper. Toss until the butter and parmesan form a thickened sauce that coats the gnocchi.

Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Walnut Sauce

Heat the cream in a pan. As it starts to boil, lower the heat and add the crumbled cheese, whisking well until melted and incorporated. Add the walnuts and season with nutmeg and pepper. Drain the cooked gnocchi and toss them into the sauce.

Goulash

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Brown the onions in lard and add the beef and paprika. Lower the heat and let the beef simmer over a very low heat for around 1 h. Add the bay leaves, potatoes and water. Let it cook until the potatoes are soft and the beef is tender. If needed, add more water during cooking so that the sauce is rich but not too heavy. Serve with rice or pasta.

Ceviche

It is very important that the fish is undoubtably fresh.;Boil, peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Slice the fish into strips measuring about 2 x 1/2 inch. Halve and thinly slice the shallots, quarter the tomatoes, seed and slice the red chillies, chop the coriander stems and root. Lay all the ingredients in a shallow dish, except the potatoes and the coriander leaves, and pour over the lime juice, turning the fish strips to fully coat them in the juice. Cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave for 10 min, until the fish acquires a whitish colour on the outside. Season with salt and pepper and serve on little plates or in martini glasses, decorated with the coriander leaves and garnished with the sweet potatoes, which balance the heat of the red chillies.

Dry Potato and Pea Curry

Peel and chop the potatoes into cubes. Roast the mustard seeds in a hot dry pan until they start to pop. Add the oil, chopped onions, garlic, chilli, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala and chilli powder, stirring for 1 min. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the potatoes, add the water, cover and simmer for 15min. Add the peas and simmer for a further 5min. Buy this time, the liquid should have been absorbed. Stir in the mint and adjust the seasoning.