Veg to Table: Jersey Royals
By: Jess Hardiman
Tags: Food, Seasons, Vegetables, Recipes, Potatoes

Illustration: Ellen Blanc

Potatoes have long been associated with comfort, a starchy hug that appears alongside stews, baked whole and piled high with beans and cheese or roasted underneath the Sunday chicken. Even in summer, we lean into the gentle solace that they bring, enjoying them deep-fried with battered fish at the seaside, boiled and tossed in butter to go with barbecued meats or as gloriously oily, salty crisps on holiday. Whatever mood you’re in, whatever the weather is doing, a potato is never bad. In fact, a potato is always good.

I had a screw drilled into my jaw as part of a very long-winded (and very expensive) dental procedure, which came with a long list of dos and don’ts. As to be expected, I had to ensure that anything passing my lips required minimal to no chewing, meaning for a few days I was on a rotating diet of porridge and Wotsits. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long to become sick to the back teeth (not literally; I had to have one of those ripped out) of dining on pulp, which was when I reached out to a bag of Jersey Royals — knowing they could be soft and yielding without resembling baby food, and would just about hold their form when sliced and baked with eggs into a frittata. This marked my grateful return to real food, and after that tentative first bite, I was able to graduate onto much bigger, better and, of course, crunchier things.

A second wave of comfort came not long after, following a particularly difficult period — during which time I suddenly came to feel very, very small, and my appetite dwindled briefly to match. I didn’t want to eat much, but knew I deserved more than my stomach led me to believe, and once again I found myself turning to the spuds. Being a hot, sunny day, I craved freshness and vibrance, and slicked them in a citrussy, herbal dressing, with plenty of greenery thrown in for good measure. Self care through carbs.

According to the official Jersey Royals website, the uniquely nutty potato — often grown as new potatoes, but not always — is packed with nutrients like fibre, Vitamin B and Vitamin C, the latter of which is apparently ‘essential in the diet’ for maintaining healthy skin, hair, bones, gums and, much to my luck… teeth.

Potato and Goats’ Cheese Frittata

One of my favourite ways to eat potatoes is in a frittata, bulking eggs out into a light but worthwhile meal (but without the faff of flipping a tortilla, a task I never trust myself with). Use whichever veg you have to use up, and swap the herbs about as you please — but one thing is obligatory: tomato ketchup on the side, and lots of it.

500g Jersey Royal potatoes

6 eggs

250g asparagus

Handful of frozen peas

1 tsp dried dill

1 tsp dried tarragon

1 tsp dried parsley

100g goats’ cheese

Parmesan

Salt and pepper

Butter a medium-sized baking dish or line it with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).

Cook the potatoes and drain under cold water to cool, before slicing them up and placing into the dish.

Mix the eggs, herbs and seasoning together in a bowl, and pour over the potatoes. Toss in the peas — still frozen — and stir everything around in the dish to distribute it all evenly.

Top with slices of goats’ cheese and grated parmesan, before baking for 25–30 minutes, or until the eggs are set.

Herby Potato Salad with Rocket

I never have a jar of mayonnaise in my fridge as the thought of something egg-based having that long a shelf-life slightly creeps me out (says the woman who’ll happily eat sachets of Pasta ’N’ Sauce and chicken from a tin). I’d far rather have a tub of yoghurt at my disposal, which is healthier, lighter and much more versatile for summery dressings.

500g Jersey Royal potatoes

2 tbsp (heaped) Greek yoghurt

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

Handful fresh mint, chopped

1 tsp dried dill

2 tsp capers

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 lemon

30g rocket

2 spring onions, finely sliced

Salt and pepper

Slice the potatoes lengthways and steam or boil — mine took around 20 minutes steaming on a medium heat. (If you’re using smaller new potatoes, you can just leave them whole.)

While they cook, mix together the yoghurt, herbs, capers, mustard and the zest and juice of the lemon.

Once a knife slides into the potatoes easily, drain any water and run them under a cold tap in a colander to cool them quickly. Place them into large bowl and add the yoghurt mix a spoonful at a time, stirring carefully — you may not need all of the mixture, depending how much dressing you like.

Add the rocket, salt and pepper and stir through the potato and yoghurt mix, before dishing up into a bowl and topping with the spring onions.

Crispy Crushed Breakfast Potatoes

I love Rachel Ama’s idea of serving crispy, crushed Jersey royals as part of a vegan fry up, though suspect they’d go well alongside many other things, too. Hers are par-boiled then crushed and roasted in oil, salt and pepper, and served alongside vegan lemon aioli. Find the recipe via the Guardian here.

Fondue

I’d been trying to think of things to do with potatoes, and one of the most obvious passed me by until I saw a Rachel Khoo recipe online. Fondue is, of course, most commonly associated with alpine landscapes and wintry weather, but there’s no reason why it can’t be enjoyed as part of an early summer spread with a nice glass of crisp white wine. Just make the cheesy dip (or, as Khoo does, melt an entire block of Mont d’Or in its box) as standard, but play around with fresher sides like crudites, cherry tomatoes, radishes, fruit and, obviously, potatoes. I like Nigella Lawson’s suggestions here.

While Khoo’s recipe calls for Ratte potatoes, a French variety with a nutty flavour and soft, buttery texture, she offers Jersey Royals as a solid alternative. Try and get baby Jersey Royals if you can, but if not, simply halve or quarter to make them bite-sized chunks. Check out the full recipe online via the Evening Standard.

Okra and Potatoes with Toasted Sesame Seeds

Meera Sodha is, to me, the queen of vegetables, as she never throws together a vegetarian or vegan recipe I don’t want to try. In Fresh India, she recommends using Jersey Royals in a stir-fry with okra — spiking them with tamarind, chilli and more. I shan’t go any further in decribing the dish, as her book is one you should own anyway. You’ll get good use out of it, I promise.