Irish potatoes
This all started with several slugs of Irish Whiskey. I had always believed that Irish was just another version of Scotch, and Scotch was the one and only whisky. It just goes to show how wrong you can be, and how there’s something new to learn in this business every breathing moment. The truth is the Irish were making whiskey (note the ‘e’) 700 years before the Scots started making whisky.
Irish has a cleaner, less harsh flavour than Scotch and it leaves the bubble-gum perfumery of bourbon for dead.
And then I started thinking of potatoes; not because of the generations of Irish in my blood, or the Irish in my blood from the drinking session, but because there’s a taste there that seems made for potatoes. It sounds crazy, the product of a lush. It isn’t.
Vegetables for all tastes
This all started with several slugs of Irish Whiskey. I had always believed that Irish was just another version of Scotch, and Scotch was the one and only whisky. It just goes to show how wrong you can be, and how there’s something new to learn in this business every breathing moment. The truth is the Irish were making whiskey (note the ‘e’) 700 years before the Scots started making whisky.
Irish has a cleaner, less harsh flavour than Scotch and it leaves the bubble-gum perfumery of bourbon for dead.
And then I started thinking of potatoes; not because of the generations of Irish in my blood, or the Irish in my blood from the drinking session, but because there’s a taste there that seems made for potatoes. It sounds crazy, the product of a lush. It isn’t.
a little cream
a good pour of best olive oil
30g unsalted butter
salt
black pepper
500g floury potatoes suitable for mashing
bunch of tarragon
a few teaspoons of Irish whiskey - Any of the five brands which make it here is fine.
80g of your favourite melting cheese, grated
1
Cook the potatoes in plenty of salted water until they give like butter to the knife. Heat the oven to flat out.
2
Peel the potatoes and mash with a masher or fork, depending on how you prefer your mash.
3
Add the chopped tarragon, cream, olive oil, butter, salt and several turns of the pepper grinder. Mix the lot together powerfully.
4
On a flat-out flame, heat a little olive oil in a heavy pan which can go to the oven. When the oil is hot, toss in the mash and flatten the mix so that it touches the edges. Cook for a minute or so on high, and then put the pan in the oven.
5
Heat through for about 10 minutes, remove and mix the grated cheese through.
6
Spoon the potatoes on the plate, make a little well in the pile, and mix the whiskey through them. Have a sauce boat of whiskey handy for top-ups.
7
You can do the same with baked potatoes. When they are done, slice the tops, fluff up the potatoes, and add a few drops of the whiskey. Finish with butter or olive oil, and salt and pepper.
WINE: One day, get two good tasting glasses and compare a nice Irish whiskey with a good Scottish malt. I believe the overall difference is that the Irish has a herb/spice aroma whereas Scotch is more peaty, smoky and oak-influenced. Maybe the herb-like character is why the Irish is so good with mashed potatoes.