Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Last Friday, I sweet-talked Glen, the owner of our favourite potato and onion stall at Flemington Markets, into selling me a selection of gourmet potatoes.  He was being very kind – these are usually sold by the kilo, but he let me buy just a few of each to try.  They had about a dozen varieties on offer!

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These are Nicola potatoes, recommended for salads, but also supposedly good for roasting and mashing.  They originated in Germany, but are now grown all over the world.

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Next up are Dutch Creams, which have a waxy yellow flesh.  Great for mashing, in soups or as a roasted potato.

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These King Edward potatoes are white fleshed, with interesting pinkish eyes. They aren’t recommended for salads, but are great for mashing or baking, as they’re quite a floury spud.

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One of my favourites – Royal Blue potatoes – they’re the large purplish ones at the back of the photo.  These are a delicious all-rounder, and we use them for mashing, roasting and in soups.  They have a yellow flesh and are similar in flavour and texture to a Desiree.

The ones at the front which look like petrified lumps of dinosaur poop are a variety known as Purple Congo. The flesh is a bright purple colour and very dry.   They need to be boiled and mashed, as a lot of liquid is required to make them palatable.

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These Bintje potatoes originated in Holland – they’re a versatile all-rounder, and the internet tells me that they’re now the most widely grown yellow-fleshed potato in the world.

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And finally, an old favourite – Kipfler potatoes – originally from Austria and now widely available, and one of the better known gourmet varieties.  These are good for just about everything except chips.

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Time to go play in the kitchen!   I think I might start by mashing each type separately, and comparing how they taste.  I’ll report back tomorrow…

Continued here: Gourmet Potatoes #2