--- airs weeknights on SBS Food at 7.00pm and 10.00pm, or stream it free on . Watch Anthony on the potatoes episode Thursday 23 September. ---
Potatoes are the kitchen gift that keeps on giving. Chips, mash, dauphinoise, rostis…there are hundreds of ways to enjoy them.
Owner of , , was raised on a diet of meat and potatoes and shares his favourite ways to cook this humble vegetable.
“Growing up with a blue-collar background, potatoes featured in almost every single meal,” he says. “It is inexpensive, it is available all year round, it’s easily accessible, and yet it's so satisfying and filling.”
His mother regularly boiled potatoes to accompany a grilled steak or piece of beef and would serve this with a buttered potato salad on the side.
“Because of my Baltic background, potato salad is just a staple,” Anthony explains. “You could never escape it in my household.”
Because of my Baltic background, potato salad is just a staple, you could never escape it in my household.
Roast potatoes were another family favourite where a dollop of duck fat was added before roasting to make the skin extra crispy. A light sprinkle of flaky sea salt then finished them off.
“Potatoes don’t demand a lot of attention, but no meal seems complete without them,” Anthony says.
Dinners weren’t the only time when the potato made an appearance. Anthony considers potato crisps as the ultimate snack and would never turn down fresh hash browns for breakfast. An old-school jacket potato with bacon and sour cream also makes him a warming and nutritious afternoon treat.
For home cooks looking to experiment with this economical ingredient, Anthony suggests attempting a classic French dauphinoise. Roasted hassle back potatoes with beef or duck fat are another crowd-pleaser and Anthony says that of does these best.
Vic’s Meats has recently started selling heirloom potatoes from the family-owned via their online store. This has expanded Anthony’s potato repertoire and he is enjoying learning the best ways to cook each variety.
Get his recipe for .
Puharich triple cooks his chips for maximum crunch Source: Danielle Abou Karam
Potato or po-tah-to, one thing is for sure. There’s never a shortage of them in Anthony’s home and he hopes that the humble spud never goes out of style.
“It’s almost sacrilegious that you have a steak or a piece of beef and not some type of potato,” he concludes. “Whether it's roasted, whether it's French fries, whether it's a mash …It doesn't seem right if there are no potatoes.”
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