The first new potatoes for me are as much a sign that summer is around the corner as strawberries or asparagus are. The little jersey royals don’t look like much, covered in their telltale mat of dusty brown soil but, after a dousing of cold water and good scrub, their golden skins are unveiled, so thin you can flick them off with a thumb. I remember digging up new potatoes as a kid – as soon as they were out of the ground I’d try to rub the skins off with my thumbs. They seemed so tiny, sweet and friendly; tiny jewels of the earth.
Most supermarkets sell jersey royals (and the equally good cornish earlies) already washed, which, while undoubtedly easier on a school night, does make them lose some of their wonder for me. It’s so rare we get to connect with exactly where our food comes from, and the dirt that grasps these potatoes does just that.
A fresh jersey needs little embellishment – boiled in salted water and dabbed with butter and extra salt is probably the way I like them best, but I do branch out a bit. I try to make the most of jerseys and other new potatoes, which means, like British asparagus, I eat them at least twice a week while they are in season.
I cook my new potatoes in a deep pot. I use a lot of water – almost as much as I would if I were to cook pasta; I find they cook better that way. I usually start the potatoes in cold water rather than hot, which keeps the insides from becoming watery. That said, some nights when I am in a hurry I boil the kettle and add them to hot water to speed things up. I am sure some people can tell the difference, but I’ve never had any complaints.
The first recipe here is for simply boiled jerseys with four quick dressings, my take on four classic sauces: a garlic aioli, a summer tartare, a quick and classy patatas bravas sauce, and a salmoriglio – essentially a herb oil made with marjoram or oregano, although thyme would do at a pinch.
I must include an honest note on the aioli. I have no love for strong garlic – I make aioli with one clove. However, when I tested varying amounts on friends, the consensus was that a fiery three-clove version was the sweet spot. I’ll leave it up to you to add as much as you wish.
The second recipe is less pure, but no less wonderful. A lovely late-spring supper, this dish’s tomato and onion meld and mellow in the oven in a way that still allows the flavour of the jerseys to come though. Their sweetness and the scarlet gravy they make in the tray are proof that summer can’t be too far away.
Simple jersey royals with four dressings
Each of the dressing recipes is enough for 1kg of potatoes. For a crowd, you might want twice as many potatoes and a couple of dressings.
Serves 4 as a side dish
1kg jersey royal or other new potatoes, scrubbed clean
Salt
1 Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with plenty of cold water. Add a big pinch of salt, put on the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes (you may need longer for bigger potatoes), or until a knife slides into their flesh easily.
2 Drain the potatoes well and return to the heat for 2 minutes, to steam away their moisture. Serve with a big dollop of butter, or one of the toppings below.
For the aioli
2 egg yolks
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
250ml rapeseed oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Start with all your ingredients at room temperature. Put a damp tea towel beneath a mixing bowl (or use a food processor). Add the egg yolks, salt, mustard and lemon juice. Whisk together for a few minutes.
2 Add the oil, drip by drip, while whisking vigorously at the same time. Go slowly: your mayonnaise may split if you rush this stage. As the mixture thickens, you can add it more quickly, in a thin, steady stream.
3 Once you have incorporated all the oil, give the mayonnaise a really good stir and add the crushed garlic cloves. Keep it refrigerated until you are ready to eat.
For the summer tartare
2 egg yolks
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
250ml rapeseed oil
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped
1 tbsp cornichons, rinsed and chopped
½ bunch tarragon, finely chopped
½ bunch chives, finely chopped
1 Follow the above method for the aioli, but instead of adding the garlic at the end, add the chopped capers, cornichons and herbs, and stir well.
For the salmoriglio
½ bunch of marjoram or oregano, leaves picked and finely chopped
½ bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped very finely
Zest and juice of 1 lemon,
A pinch of salt
150ml extra virgin olive oil
1 Combine the herbs, lemon zest and juice, add a big pinch of salt and stir in the olive oil. Set aside to allow the flavours to mingle before serving.
For the quick bravas sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
500g cherry tomatoes, halved (or 400g tin of chopped tomatoes)
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium heat, add the onion and cook until soft.
2 Add the chilli, salt and smoked paprika and stir until you can really smell the spices.
3 Add the tomatoes and cook until they are soft and completely broken down (use a spatula to help them). Add the honey and sherry vinegar, season to taste and stir through the parsley.
Sweet and sticky roast jersey royal and tomato bake
This recipe is more than the sum of its parts. Something amazing happens during the roasting: the tomatoes become juicy, burnt-red orbs of sweet and sour, and the once-harsh little onions mellow to milky sweetness.
The real star of this dish is the rich, sweet gravy from the onions and tomatoes that bastes and flavours the roasting jerseys and feta, making sure not a drop is lost. Trust me: this is a dinner in its own right. Just a perky, lemon-dressed green salad on the side will do.
Serves 4
500g baby onions
500g cherry tomatoes
750g jersey royals, scrubbed clean and halved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
200g feta cheese
1 lemon, zested
A small bunch of fresh basil
1 Preheat your oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
2 Put the onions into a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Use a slotted spoon to fish them out and peel back the skins, which will have been helpfully loosened by the hot water. Cut any larger ones in half.
2 Tumble the peeled onions on to your biggest roasting tray and add the tomatoes and the halved potatoes. It might be a squeeze, but this way the tomatoes will cover the potatoes with their juices. Everything will shrink a bit as it cooks, so don’t worry. Season generously with salt and pepper, and pour over some olive oil. Toss the tray contents to coat in oil, then roast in the oven for 1 hour, returning to toss everything again every 15 minutes or so.
3 Once the bake has had an hour, it should be smelling delicious: the onions should be soft and slightly browned in parts and the tomatoes blistered and charred. Remove the tray from the oven and crumble over the feta, grate over the zest of the lemon and scatter with basil, then put the tray back in the oven and roast for another 15 minutes.
4 Spoon on to warm plates and make sure not to miss a drop of those juices.
- Anna Jones is a chef, writer and author of A Modern Way to Eat and A Modern Way to Cook (Fourth Estate); annajones.co.uk; @we_are_food
