Pierogi Ruskies: Potatoes. Cheese. Butter. The Polish are genius – this is dumpling heaven! A great weekend project – cook some now, freeze some for later. They cook from frozen!!

A Pierogi Ruskie recipe

I’m so excited to be bringing you this Pierogi recipe! I’d eat them every day if they didn’t tip the scales in the wrong direction. 😭

Even if you haven’t tried a Pierogi before, all you need to know is that these ones are cheesy, creamy mashed potato filled dumplings served with an intensely butter onion sauce.

In other words, it is every Cheese-Lovin’ Carb Monster’s Dream come true, and she who is the self appointed Head Priestess of this Club was literally in mind-boggling ecstasy when faced with a plate of these.

They are, to say the least, one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten this year!

Ingredients in Pierogi

Very, very few!

THE Pierogi filling

It’s essentially cheesy, buttery, creamy mashed potato. See authenticity note below the photo on the cheese, and why it was important for me to make this recipe accessible to “everyone”!

• Potatoes – Use all-rounder potatoes so they mash up fluffy and creamy. The most common potatoes at regular stores will be fine – they’re stocked because they’re great all-rounders.

  Australia – Sebago (the dirt brushed potatoes sold everywhere) are perfect, Desiree are great too. US: Yukon Gold, russet, UK: Maris piper, King Edward.

• Cheese – I use cheddar but any good melting cheese you’d happily put in your grilled cheese is fine. Give mozzarella a miss. While it melts great, it doesn’t have enough flavour.

  Authenticity note – Pierogi is traditionally made with quark, a mildly tangy European cottage cheese. Quark is not something I’ve seen frequently in Australia. Cottage cheese is probably the best substitute. But shredded cheese, as you can imagine, makes a delicious alternative – imagine it melted throughout creamy mashed potato!

  I opted to use regular cheese because I want this recipe to be as accessible as possible so many people can experience the greatness that is Pieorgis.

• Butter – Use unsalted so we can add the right amount of salt.

Pierogi DUMPLING DOUGH

• Flour – Just plain / all-purpose flour.

• Large egg – From a carton labelled “large eggs” (they should weight around 55-60g/2 oz).

• Butter – Melted into the water that I accidentally left out of the phot.

ONION BUTTER SAUCE

You could serve the Pierogis will just melted butter and you’d swoon. But it’s even better with a sautéed onion sauce which is common with traditional Polish Pierogis.

How to make Pierogi

Pierogis are easier to wrap than gyoza and potstickers. Because Asians like pleating – which can take practice to master. The Polish just press to seal. Much simpler! – I’m a big fan

HOT TIP: Got a Pierogi itch that needs scratching but homemade wrappers are out of reach? Use store-bought round Asian dumpling wrappers instead. The wrappers are thinner but it works a treat!

1. CHEESY POTATO FILLING FIRST

Make the filling first because it needs 1 1/2 hours to fully cool, during which time you’ll have the dough rolled out and cut, ready to fill!

1. Boil potatoes in salted water, starting with the potatoes in cold water. Why? Because otherwise the outside of the potatoes cook too much and start to crumble before the inside is cooked.

2. Drain potatoes.

3. Mash & mix – Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or mash using a regular potato masher. Then mix in the butter, cheese, salt and pepper. The cheese won’t melt – it melts when the pierogis is boiled!

4. Cool – Spread out on to a tray. Cover with cling wrap, pressing so it is fully in contact, so the filling doesn’t sweat. Cool on the counter (about 30 minutes) then refrigerate until cold (1 hour+). You can do this the day before.

   The filling needs to be cold so it doesn’t sweat inside the dough (which would make the dough soggy). It’s also easier to wrap the dumplings because the potato is firm.

2. how to make pierogi dumpling DOUGH

You could use your stand-mixer but I enjoy the leisurely process of hand-kneading this dough. It’s easy to manage because it’s a small amount and the dough is soft. Plus, hand-kneading is somewhat satisfying, and you can (smugly) tell everybody fortunate enough to eat one of these – I made these myself with my own hands. (You know I do!)

1. Dry – Whisk the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Add wet – Make a well in the centre. Then add melted butter with warm water plus the egg. Mix to combine using a spatula – it will be a rough, shaggy dough.

3. Knead – Scrape out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth. Use the bare minimum flour as needed to prevent it from sticking to your hands and the work surface. (Too much flour = drier stiffer dough = more difficult to roll out thinly).

4. Rest – Wrap with cling wrap and leave on the counter for 30 minutes.

3. MAKING THE PIEROGIS

1. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 3mm / 1/8″ thickness.

2. Cut out rounds using a 7.5 cm / 3″ cutter. Do as many as you can, then gather surplus dough into a ball, wrap with cling wrap and set aside to roll out and cut more later.

3. Filling – Place 1 tablespoon of cheesy potato filling in the middle of a round (20g, if you want to be exact!).

4. Dip finger with water and run along edge of half the circle. This will help seal securely.

5. Fold dough over to enclose the filling then press the edges together.

6. Seal firmly by pinching to make slight dents, the traditional look of pierogis.

   Place them on a lightly floured tray and continue to wrap remaining Pierogi (including rolling out the remaining dough). You should get ~30 pierogis. A nice big batch – cook some now, freeze some for later!

4. HOW TO COOK PIEROGIS

Boil like pasta! Just make sure you don’t crowd the pot. Pierogis needs space to bounce around! I cook 8 in a medium pot, and up to 12 in a wider pot. Tips below for batching cooking larger quantities.

1. Sauté onion first – Sauté chopped onion in butter until golden on the edges. Then transfer into a bowl or container and use as much or as little as you want for whatever size serving of pierogis you are making. 1 large onion is enough for 30 pierogis because they are only sparingly scattered with onion, like pictured. Cook onion will keep for 5 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months.

2. Boil 5 minutes – Bring ~3 litres/quarts of water to the boil with 1 tablespoon of salt. Lower 10 pierogis into the water and cook for 5 minutes, or until they are floating on the surface (they sink at first).

   ⚠️ As noted above the step photos, don’t crowd the pot else the pierogis will stick together and cook unevenly.
   ⚡️ It’s important to use salted water so you get some seasoning into the pierogis wrapper as it cooks. Makes it tastier!

3. Reserve water – Dip a jug into the water and scoop out 1 cup water. We’re going to use a bit of this water to make the sauce. The cooking water is better than tap water because it’s got starch from the pierogi dough in it which makes the sauce thicken. If you just mixed water + butter together, it stays water.

4. Scoop out or drain –  Then use a slotted spoon to transfer pierogi into a bowl. Or, you can drain in a colander if you are not using the water to cook more.

5. Butter sauce – Using a largish pan, melt 25g butter (1 1/2 tablespoons) over medium heat. Add 1/3 of the onion butter (from step 1) plus the cooked pierogis with 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water.

6. Toss for 1 minute, still on the stove, until the pierogis are coated in the butter sauce. You’ll see it goes from watery (when you first add the water) to thickened so it sticks to the surface of the pierogi.

   Larger batch – Just scale up the butter, onion and water. At this stage, it’s easy to eye-ball it. And I wouldn’t discourage the use of even more butter!

7. Serve – Slide onto a serving plate, scraping out every drop of butter. Sprinkle with parsley, add a dollop of sour cream. Eat and be happy!

Big-batch cooking of Pierogi

As strange as it sounds to have a whole section on how to cook and serve larger batches of pierogi, there’s actually practical factors that come into play that need to be considered! The reason is because they are quite large – bigger than Gyoza and Chinese dumplings, you can’t boil more than 10 to 12 max per batch, and they need to be tossed in the sauce on the stove.

So the recipe I’m sharing today makes 30 pierogis but provides directions to cook one batch of 8 to 10 (which is a nice amount for 2 people). Leftovers are perfect for freezing – you can cook from frozen!

But if you would like to cook all 30 pierogis, here’s some practical tips for how to do it!

boiling large batches

Pierogis need to be boiled in a single layer else they can get stuck together and the wrapping won’t cook evenly. So you’ll max out at around 12 pierogis in a large home-pot.

If you want to make and serve more, then boil in batches of 12 and spread cooked pierogis on a tray. Once you’ve boiled as much as you want, then drop all of them back into the pot for 30 seconds to reheat before tossing with the butter. Reserve a mugful of the cooking water then drain in a colander.

Large batch butter sauce tossing

For the butter sauce tossing part, you can put in as many pierogis as you can comfortably fit into a large skillet. You could even use a large pot. Just make sure you can toss the pierogis, because that’s how you get a nice coating of butter on them.

Simple method for gigantic batches

If you want to serve all 30 pierogis at the same time, an easy way to sauce them up is to make the sauce separately then douse over the pierogis.

To do this, cook the pierogis per above (ie boil then reheat). Drain well in a colander and transfer into a serving bowl. Melt 70g / 4 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter with 1/3 cup of the cooking water in a small pan on medium heat. Simmer for a couple of minutes until the butter thickens (the starch in the pierogi cooking water makes this happen).

Serving pierogis

Cooking part done, it’s time to enjoy them! A dollop of sour cream adds a lovely cooling, tangy creamy touch that pairs so well with cheesy mashed potato (proof – reader favourite Stuffed Baked Potatoes!). And a little sprinkle of parsley or chives adds a nice touch of green to an otherwise very beige plate.

And as a plate of food that is an unapologetic celebration of three of my favourite food groups – butter, cheese and potato – a perky fresh side of greens would be a nice accompaniment. Even this self-confessed Cheese Lovin’ Carb Monster needs something fresh to cut through all that richness! Try a classic light vinaigrette with leafy greens or any steamed vegetables.

Hope you love this as much as we do! Big shout out to our Chef JB for doing much of the leg-work on the research, development and testing on this pierogi recipe, then teaching me and answering my many, many questions. It’s been raining pierogis in our kitchen!!! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Pierogi Ruskies – Polish Dumplings

Recipe video above. Pierogi Ruskie's are Polish dumplings filled with cheesy, creamy mashed potatoes served with an onion butter sauce. They are even more delicious than they sound!

Traditionally made with quark which is an European fresh cheese which isn't easily found in Australia, so I've used cheddar because I want this recipe to be as accessible as possible to many people to experience the greatness that is Pieorgis!!! More in Note 2.

Excellent weekend project – eat some today and freeze some for later (they cook from frozen). Makes a nice big batch of 30 pierogis. For more dumplings of the world – head here!

Course Mains

Cuisine European, polish

Keyword pierogi, pierogi ruskies, polish dumplings

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Resting dough 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings 30 pierogis

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Pierogi dough:

• 2 cups flour , plain/all-purpose
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 50g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 large egg , whisked (55-60g/2oz)

Pierogi filling:

• 2 x 250g/8oz medium potatoes , peeled and sliced 1cm / 1/2" thick (Note 1)
• 1 tbsp cooking/kosher salt – for cooking potatoes
• 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese , tightly packed cup (Note 2)
• 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Onion Butter:

• 30g/ 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 onion , finely diced
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt

Cooking and serving:

• 1 tbsp cooking/kosher salt – for boiling water
• 25g/ 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter , per 8 – 10 pierogis (Note 3)
• Sour cream , for serving
• Parsley or chives , finely chopped – just a pinch

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Filling:

• Boil potatoes – Put potato and 1 tbsp salt in a large saucepan. Add cold tap water so it's 3cm/1 inch above potatoes. Bring to a boil on high heat then reduce heat to medium high and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
• Mash – Drain, then pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a bowl (or use potato masher)
• Cheese it – Immediately add butter, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix with a wooden spoon until fully combined.
• Cool – Spread out ~1cm / 1/2" thick on a tray. Cover with cling wrap, pressing so it is fully in contact. Cool on the counter (~30 min) then refrigerate until cold (1 hour+).

Pierogi Dough:

• Melt butter – Heat up the water and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat just until butter is melted, do not boil water. (Or do this in the microwave). Turn off heat.
• Mix dough – Whisk the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and then add the butter water plus egg. Mix to combine into a shaggy dough.
• Knead – Scrape out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth (Note 3). You could also use your stand mixer.
• Rest – Wrap with cling wrap and leave on the counter for 30 minutes.

Wrapping pierogis:

• Roll & cut – On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 3mm / 1/8" thickness. Cut out rounds using a 7.5 cm / 3" cutter. Do as many as you can, then gather surplus dough into a ball, wrap with cling wrap and set aside for later.
• Fill & wrap – Place 1 tablespoon of cheesy potato filling in the middle of a round. Dip finger with water and run along edge of half the circle. Fold dough over to enclose the filling and press to seal, making slight indents (no pleats).
• Wrap remaining – Place them on a lightly floured tray and continue to wrap remaining Pierogi (including rolling out the remaining dough). You should get ~30 pierogis.

Onion butter sauce:

• In a non stick skillet, melt the butter until foamy over medium heat. Add onion and salt, then cook, stirring regularly, for 10 to 15 minutes until golden on the edges. Scrape out into a bowl, then set aside (OK to cool).

Cooking & serving pierogis:

• Batch cooking – Directions below are for cooking and serving 10. Boil pierogis in batches of 10 to 12 max, they need space to bounce around in the water, and you need space to toss them in the butter. (Note 4 for big batch cooking)
• Boil 5 minutes – Bring ~3 litres/quarts of water to the boil with 1 tbsp salt. Lower 10 piergosi into the water. Cook for 5 minutes – they should be floating on the surface.
• Reserve water & drain – Dip a jug into the water and scoop out ~1 cup water. Then use a slotted spoon to transfer pierogi into a bowl (or drain, if not cooking more).
• Butter sauce – Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 of the onion butter plus the cooked pierogis with 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water. Toss for 1 minute, still on the stove, until the pierogis are coated in the butter. (Note 4 on scaling up)
• Serve – Slide onto a serving plate, scraping out every drop of butter. Sprinkle with parsley, add a dollop of sour cream. Eat and be happy!

Notes

Recipe credits – Primarily adapted from this recipe from New York Times Cooking, with references to a whole bunch of other recipes. The main changes we made were process related.

Serving size – 4 to 5 pierogis with a side salad makes a nice meal. They are pretty rich, actually, being solely comprised of potato, cheese and butter!

1. Potatoes – Use your favourite mashing potatoes. All-rounder and floury / starchy potatoes are best. The most common potatoes stocked at regular stores should be good all-rounders.

Australia – Sebago (common dirt brushed potatoes), Desiree. US: Yukon Gold, russet, UK: Maris piper, King Edward.

2. Cheese – Traditionally made with quark which is an European fresh cheese which isn’t easily found in Australia. While cottage cheese is probably the closest substitute, I’ve used shredded cheese which, as you can imagine, is a delicious alternative when it’s melted throughout the potato. 

I use cheddar but any good melting cheese you’d happily put in your grilled cheese is fine (tasty, gruyere, Colby). Give mozzarella a miss – doesn’t have enough flavour for this recipe.

3. Kneading – When you first mix the dough in the bowl and form into a ball, the surface is rough and shaggy. It is kneaded enough when the surface of the dough ball is smooth. See video at 1.39.

4. Batch cooking – Don’t boil more than 10 – 12 pierogis max in a large pot because they need room to bounce around. To cook lots, boil 10 – 12 at a time, scoop out and spread on a tray. Boil the next batch. Then just before serving, put them all back into the boiling water for 30 seconds to warm them back up. Drain, then toss in the butter sauce with a splash of the reserved cooking water.

Butter amount – You’ll need around 1 1/2 tbsp / 25g plus 2 tablespoons of the cooking water for 8 to 10 pierogis. For all 30, you’ll need around 70g / 4 1/2 tbsp butter and 1/3 cup water. You can eyeball it. Butter is not an exact science here!

5. Make ahead – Pierogis freeze 100% perfectly and can be boiled from frozen! Just add an extra 1 – 2 minutes to the cook time. Freeze in single layers in an airtight container. To save space, you can freeze them on a tray then bundle them into an airtight container.

Life of Dozer

Coming to you in real time! This is Dozer today, at a photography studio for a Christmas special edition of Good Food Australia with the A-team: Rob Palmer (photographer), Emma Knowles (food stylist), Theresa Klein (photo chef). Who ever imaged a discount dog would experience such things!!

The post Pierogi – Polish dumplings appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Regular baked spuds are good. Hasselback potatoes are awesome! Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, basted with garlic rosemary olive oil. This is roast potato perfection!

Hasselback potatoes talk

Everybody talks about how tips and tricks to avoid accidentally cutting the way through (easy – chopsticks or spatula on either side of the potato!). Why doesn’t anyone talk about the other things that matter for hasselback success?? Namely:

1. Fanning is key! For good hasselback potatoes, you need the slices to fan out as they bake so you can drip salty oil/fat between the slices and crispy edges. Without fanning, you end up with regular old roast spuds!

2. For fanning, you need thin slices (2mm is ideal), to cut down far enough (1cm / 0.4″ from base) and oval shaped potatoes work better than round ones. If you don’t cut down far enough, you will not get fanning! And thick slices don’t fan as well as thin slices (you can see in my photos the thin ones fan out more).

3. Basting is also key. Baste, baste, baste to encourage fanning (dragging the brush across the surface helps separate the slices) and to drip tasty salted oil between the potato slices.

And with that, let’s get onto what you want to know – how to make great hasselback potatoes!

What you need

You really only need potatoes, oil and salt to make hasselback potatoes. Garlic and rosemary are optional, but they do infuse the oil with lovely flavour that gets brushed onto the potato.

• Potato type – All-rounder and floury / starchy potatoes are best. The most common potatoes at regular stores will be fine – they’re stocked because they’re great all-rounders.

  Australia – Sebago (the dirt brushed potatoes sold everywhere) are perfect, Desiree are great too. US: Yukon Gold, russet, UK: Maris piper, King Edward.

  Waxy potatoes do work, but the cut surface gets kind of slippery which doesn’t really appeal to me.

• Potato size and shape – Look for potatoes around 250g/8oz that are a nice even oval shape rather than round. These will fan out better to allow the oil and salt to drip between the slices.

  If the potatoes are too small (like baby potatoes) then the inside will get too soft before the edges crisp up. And while in theory, you can make much larger ones, it will be a little harder to get the inside cooked without the edges of the thin slices burning.

• Garlic and rosemary are optional. These infuse the oil with a little flavour which is then brushed onto the potatoes. But the flavour is subtle.

• Olive oil – You can make hasselback potatoes with any fat, though oils will make the potatoes crisper than butter (because butter contains ~20% water). So if you do want to use some melted butter for brushing, I’d recommend still using olive oil for most of the baking time then use butter towards the end.

The easiest way to cut hasselback potatoes

So here’s a step by step of my easy way to cut hasselback potatoes – by using a spatula or chopsticks which makes it impossible to accidentally cut all the way through. But, as noted above, it’s also important to ensure you cut through enough, to allow the potatoes to fan out. So make sure your spatula / chopstick is no thicker than 1cm / 0.4″!

1. Stable base – Firstly, cut a thin slice off the base so the potato will sit flat and stable.

2. Cutting guide – Place the potato between the hands of 2 spatulas or chopsticks (or similar), no thicker than 1cm / 0.4″.

3. In action! See? See how the spatula stops the knife from cutting all the way through? Perfect!

   Slice THINLY – Aim for 2mm slices. Thin slices = fans out when baking = crispy edges and getting oil / salt between the slices! (Cutting through far enough is also key to this).

4. Hasselbacked – Here it is! Run your fingers across the surface and admire your handiwork!

Wonky cuts? Accidentally cut all the way through? Who cares! It’s still going to be delicious – and still going to trump regular plain boring roast spuds.

Baking hasselback potatoes

Cutting part done – time to bake. This part is easy, but the basting steps are critical!

1. Rub with a little oil (just 1 1/2 teaspoons shared between all 5) then salt. Not much at this stage!

2. Bake 1 – Bake at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan) for 30 minutes. This first bake is to get the potato slices to start opening up so we can get salt and oil in between.

3. Oil & salt – Then pour 1/4 cup olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Only so much will fall between the slices at this stage, we will coax more flavour in when we baste!

4. Bake 2 – Return to the oven with the garlic and the rosemary for a further 40 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through, basting with the oil on the tray every 10 minutes (see below). The bake time will be shorter if you use smaller potatoes (I use 250g/8oz).

5. Basting – For the basting, squidge a brush into the oil on the tray.

6. Brush with intention! Then drag the brush across the surface of the potato, using a little pressure to coax the potato slices apart so salty oil drips down between the slices. Basting is key for hasselback awesomeness, so don’t shortcut this step!

7. Golden crispness! Crank up the oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C). Then return the potatoes into the oven or a further 10 to 15 minutes to make them extra golden and crispy on the edges.

8. Sprinkle with a little salt flakes if you want (I want!) then devour while hot and crispy.

And with that, I have imparted all my hasselback making learnings to you.

Serve while hot and crispy, with a sprinkle of salt flakes and some fresh rosemary sprigs for decoration, if so desired. And while leftovers will keep for a few days, there really is nothing like hasselbacks fresh out of the oven! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Accidentally threw the garlic and rosemary onto the tray at the beginning instead of partway through! Best to add at the 30 minute mark, otherwise they get very, very toasted. (aka. burnt)

Print

Hasselback potatoes

Recipe video above. Soft on the inside and crispy on the edges, brushed with garlic rosemary olive oil! Hasselback success relies on thin slices so they fan out as they bake, allowing oil and salt to drip in between with crispy edges. Otherwise, they end up like regular roast spuds!

Making sure you cut through enough and using oval shaped spuds also help to ensure they fan out properly.

Worried about your knife skills? Don't! So what if your slices are irregular or a little too thick? Wonky hasselbacks still trump regular roast spuds every day of the week.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine swedish, Western

Keyword hasselback potatoes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 5 – 6

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 5 – 6 x 250g / 8oz potatoes , oval shaped regular or floury, scrubbed clean (Aus: Sebago (dirt brushed), desiree, US: Yukon Gold, russet, UK: Maris piper, King Edward, Note 1)
• 1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Basting:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (Note 2)
• 4 garlic cloves , skin on, smashed (optional) (Note 3)
• 3 rosemary sprigs (optional but recommended) (Note 3)

Instructions

Shortform recipe:

• Hasselback slice 2mm thick. Rub/sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp oil and 1/4 tsp salt.
• Bake 200°C/400°F (180°C fan) for 30 min. Pour over oil, sprinkle with salt, throw garlic and rosemary on tray. Bake further 40 min, basting generously every 10 min (getting oil between slices key), until cooked. Crank up to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan), baste, bake 10 – 15 min until extra golden.

Full recipe:

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
• Cut prep – Cut a thin slice off the base of a potato to make it sit flat while cutting. Place the potato between 2 wooden spatulas or chopsticks (no thicker than 1cm / 0.4" – Note 4), to make it impossible for you to accidentally cut all the way through!
• THIN slices – Cut the potato into very thin slices, aiming for 2 mm. The cuts on the edges of the potato can be slightly thicker as the edges bake up crisper. (Note 4 for tips)
• Rub – Drizzle each potato the 1 1/2 tsp oil then sprinkle/rub with the 1/4 tsp salt (ie share across all).

Baking:

• Bake 1 – Place the potatoes on a tray. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from oven.
• Baste 1 – The potato slices should be slightly less "stuck" together at this stage. Pour the 1/4 cup olive oil over the potatoes then sprinkle the salt evenly over. The salt gets spread later, so don't worry if it looks like a lot! Throw the garlic and rosemary on the tray.
• Baking/basting – Bake the potatoes for another 40 minutes, basting with the oil on the tray every 10 minutes. Brush with a bit of pressure across the surface of the potatoes to encourage the oil and salt to drip down. Once oil gets between the slices, they will fan out more and more.
• CRISP IT! – Once the potatoes are soft in the centre (check with knife), turn the oven UP to 220°C/425°F (200°C). Baste the potatoes again then bake for a further 10 – 15 minutes until the edges are nice and golden. I am quite bold with this step, many others do not seek as much crispy edges.
• Serve immediately while hot and the edges are crispy! Peeling off those end bits are the BEST.

Notes

1. Potatoes – All-rounder and floury / starchy potatoes are best. The most common potatoes at regular stores will be fine – they’re stocked because they’re great all-rounders. Oval shape fans out better than round ones.

Australia – Sebago (the dirt brushed potatoes sold everywhere) are perfect, Desiree are great too. US: Yukon Gold, russet, UK: Maris piper, King Edward.

2. Salt – it will look like a lot when you sprinkle but it gets spread when basting, all over the potato and between the slices. 

3. Smash garlic by putting side of knife against it and hitting with palm of hand to make it burst open but mostly hold together. Releases garlic flavour into oil without ending up with lots of burnt black bits.

No herbs? Still worth making as the flavour is subtle. Thyme or sage would also work well. But, use fresh! Little bits of dry herbs will just burn.

4. Hasselback success relies on thin slices so they fan out more as they bake so salty oil drips down between the slices and you get crispy edges. Ensuring you cut through enough also factors into this (hence why I say the spatula / chopstick should not be thicker than 1cm / 0.4″).

But don’t fret if you are struggling! You can coax them open when basting – just apply a little pressure as you brush across the top and it will coax them open slightly. Last resort – use a butter knife to pry them open. Once a little oil gets between two slices of potato, it prevents them from sticking together again.

5. Leftovers will keep for 3 days but they will not be like the golden crispy masterpiece that you pulled hot out of the oven.

6. Nutrition per serving, takes into account an estimation of the oil remaining on the tray.

Life of Dozer

12 month anniversary of Dinner. What a ride it’s been! Thank you for being a part of it. None of this would have been possible without you! – Nagi & Dozer x

(PS Yes that’s a smear of flour on the side of my face. OF COURSE.)

And the only thing Dozer cares about is whether there’s anything edible in this enormous, most obnoxious bunch of flowers my publisher Pan Macmillan sent me to celebrate the day!!

The post Hasselback potatoes appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is my everyday roast potatoes recipe. No-nonsense, quick prep, great garlic-thyme flavour. Fresh herbs are lovely, though dried can be used in a pinch. Don’t make the mistake of using minced garlic. It burns!

My everyday roast potatoes

I have a recipe for devilishly good crispy roast potatoes. They are the roast potatoes everybody dreams about, with a thick craggy crust that stays crispy for ages.

But they are not Monday night potatoes. They are reserved for when I’m out to impress.

Today’s roast potato recipe is what I make in my day to day life. Low effort yet utterly delicious, with a lovely golden outsides, soft insides, infused with beautiful garlic-thyme flavours.

Serve with everything!

What you need

Here’s what you need:

• Potatoes – Use any small potatoes that can be cooked with the skin on. Baby potatoes, cocktail potatoes, new potatoes, red potatoes, creamer potatoes!

  My ideal potato size is ~ 4cm/1.6″ which is a nice (big) bite size once cut in half. Half is ideal because there’s only one cut face to make golden (remember, this is my easy roast potatoes recipe!). If it’s much larger, cut into 3 pieces but just be mindful that you won’t get a very good golden colour on more than one cut face.

• Garlic – Whole, unpeeled, with the skin on. We’re going to smash them with the side of our knife to make them burst open but remain (mostly) in one piece. Why not use minced garlic? Because it burns. And burnt garlic is bitter. Not pleasant!

  You will be surprised how much garlic flavour is imparted from smashed garlic. Your house will smell amazing.

• Thyme or rosemary sprigs – Thyme is my default but rosemary is also lovely. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use dried. But toss it in halfway through the roasting time, else it will burn.

• Olive oil – Just your everyday cooking oil. No need to crank out the good stuff, reserve that for salad dressings!

Potato roasting words of wisdom

• It really does take an hour. Don’t shortcut it. Nobody likes underdone potatoes!

• Only toss once – the potatoes need undisturbed time to go golden.

• If your potatoes are stuck, don’t force them and rip the crust off! They will loosen naturally when ready.

• You can use baking paper if you want…..but full contact with metal gives the best colour and crispiness!

How to make easy roast potatoes

1. Toss potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper. I just do this on the tray, because why create more washing up? Then toss through garlic and thyme.

2. Roast for 30 minutes at 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan-forced).

3. Toss – Remove from oven, then toss. If any are stuck, leave them. They will release when ready!

   PRO TIP: Arrange the less golden cut sides facedown on the tray as they will get the best colour during the 2nd baking time.

4. Roast for a further 25 to 35 minutes. Toss again then pile onto serving plate and serve!

I don’t need to tell you what to serve with roast potatoes.

But what I do want to tell you is what I do with leftovers! I find roast potatoes get a bit sad and soggy when left overnight in the fridge. So I like to transform them into stovetop crispy smashed potatoes. Just lightly press down on the potatoes to flatten slightly (but still stay in once piece) using a glass, your hand or a spatula. Then pan fry in a little oil until golden and crisp.

HOW GOOD DO THESE LOOK???

Frankly, it’s worth making a batch of these roast potatoes just so you can do the smashed potatoes!! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Easy roast potatoes

Recipe video above. This is my everyday roast potatoes recipe. No-nonsense, quick to prep, with great garlic-thyme flavour. Fresh herbs are lovely, though dried can be used in a pinch. Don't make the mistake of using minced garlic. It burns!

Serve with everything.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Western

Keyword Baby potatoes, new potatoes, roast potatoes

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 5 – 6 as a side

Calories 255cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 kg/ 2 lb baby potatoes or other small potatoes, halved (Note 1)
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 5 garlic cloves with skin on , smashed (Note 2)
• 5 thyme sprigs or 3 rosemary sprigs (Note 3 for dried herbs)

Optional garnish

• Finely chopped parsley or fresh thyme (optional)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan).
• Smashed garlic – Place side of knife on unpeeled garlic clove. Hit firmly with palm of hand so the garlic bursts open a bit but mostly stays in tact.
• Toss – Put potatoes on a tray and push together. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Toss through thyme and garlic. Spread out on tray.
• Roast 1 hour – Roast for 30 minutes. Toss. Roast for a further 25 to 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden. (Note 4 for stuck potatoes & golden TIPS!)
• Serve – Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve immediately!

Notes

1. Potatoes – Ideal potato size ~ 4cm/1.6″. Use any small potatoes that can be cooked with the skin on. Baby potatoes, cocktail potatoes, new potatoes, red potatoes, creamer potatoes! Cut larger ones into 3 or 4 so they are all roughly the same size (shape doesn’t matter).

2. Smashed garlic – This method of smashing opening garlic releases garlic flavour into the potatoes as they roast but keeps the garlic whole so it won’t burn like minced garlic does.

3. Dried herbs (thyme, rosemary) can be used if you don’t have fresh. But add them halfway through the roasting time else it will burn. Use 1 tsp or so.

4. TIPS:

• Potatoes stuck? Don’t worry! If some potatoes are adhered to the tray, don’t fret, it means the crust hasn’t formed. Just leave it, rather than ripping the crust off. It will release when ready!
• Golden tip: If you can be bothered, arrange pale sides of potatoes facedown onto the tray for the last 30 minutes. The side of potatoes facedown on the tray will become extra golden.

5. Leftovers will last for 3 days in the fridge but there’s nothing quite like freshly made roast potatoes! I like to revive leftovers but flattening them slightly then pan frying to reheat and make crisp.

Nutrition per serving assuming this serves 5.

Nutrition

Calories: 255cal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 478mg | Potassium: 854mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg

Life of Dozer

Dozer on a mini break! Staying in a lovely rustic converted church near the Colo River, only 90 minutes from home. So close – yet feels so far! Wait until you see the kitchen. #goals

The post Roast Potatoes appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

The best potato salad is made by dousing hot potatoes with French Dressing so they take in the flavour before tossing in a creamy dressing. Complete with essential add-ins: bacon, cucumber and celery. Every bite is perfection!

Prefer no mayo? Try German Potato Salad, Red Potato Salad with Charred Corn, Lemon Potato Salad and Wickedly Delish Sweet Potato Salad.

A Potato Salad you’ll make again and again…

This is a potato salad recipe given to me by the mother of a friend. To respect her privacy, let’s call her Mrs B.

The very first time I heard how Mrs B makes her potato salad, I instantly knew that this was one that would stand out from the crowd of thousands – millions – of potato salad recipes “out there” in the world wide web.

The thing that makes it so special is pouring French Salad Dressing over the hot boiled potatoes. By dressing while hot, they absorb the French Salad Dressing flavour rather than just coating them. Which means, flavour inside the potatoes not just on the outside.

Combined with the creamy sour cream-mayonnaise dressing, salty bacon, and fresh bursts of celery, cucumber and onion, every mouthful is the perfect bite!

Plenty of dressing….but not overly greasy

The other thing I really like about this potato salad is the dressing. While I love a creamy dressing, I find using only mayonnaise too greasy. But I also don’t want to skimp on dressing. There’s nothing worse than a dry potato salad!

The solution: break up the richness of mayonnaise by combining with sour cream. I use a 50/50 ratio.

The addition of tang and hint of zing from a dab of Horseradish Cream also helps to cut through the richness. It’s optional but adds an extra little something-something to it.

And don’t forget, all this mingles together with the French Dressing the potatoes are soaked in!

After a creamy no-mayo version? Try this Creamy Yogurt Potato Salad Dressing – it’s terrific!

Ingredients for the Best Potato Salad

Here’s what you need to make the best potato salad on the block!

The potatoes and add-ins

• Potatoes – Potatoes vary widely in texture when cooked. For potato salad, I like to use starchy (floury) and all-rounder potatoes which become soft and fluffy when cooked and are a sponge to absorb the French dressing. The edges of the potato cubes mash up a bit when tossed with the dressing (nobody wants sharp-edged cubes in their potato salad!) and the surface becomes a little ragged so the creamy dressing clings to every surface

  Starchy/all-rounder potato types:
  – Australia: Sebago (dirt-brushed common potatoes), Coliban (white skin potatoes common at supermarkets)
  – US: Russet, Idaho and Yukon gold
  – UK: Maris Piper, King Edward, and Russet

  Waxy potatoes, on the other hand, do not absorb flavour nearly as well and have a firmer texture when cooked. While the potato cubes will hold their shape more perfectly when cooked with sharp cut edges, the surface is slippery so the dressing doesn’t adhere to it as well.

• Celery and cucumber – Welcome freshness! The celery is sliced finely so you get soft crunch but it becomes floppy rather than stiff sprigs sticking out. And the cucumber is finely diced rather than the typical slicing so you get great soft juicy little crunchy pops. Love!

• Raw onion (finely minced) – This cuts through the creaminess of the dressing and adds great subtle fresh flavour into the whole salad. The fact that it’s finely minced rather than just chopped or sliced helps – better dispersion throughout the whole salad plus you get the juiciness too. It kind of takes the place of garlic which I put in “everything” but is a little harsh in this particular potato salad.

• Bacon – Essential for a classic potato salad!

Dressing 1: The French Dressing

This is the dressing the hot potatoes soak up! The original recipe shared with me by Mrs B used store bought French Dressing which is an option. However, I just make my own – here’s all you need:

• White wine vinegar – The classic vinegar used for French dressing but can be substituted with apple cider vinegar, sherry or champagne vinegar (last resort: plain white vinegar).

• Olive oil is the oil of choice. The better the quality, the better the flavour!

• Dijon mustard – For flavour and thickening.

• Water – Missing from the photo! I use just 1 tablespoon of water to stretch out the dressing, rather than more oil (simply for health reasons).

• Garlic – flavour!

• Sugar – Just a touch, which takes the edge off the tang a bit too.

Dressing 2: The creamy dressing!

As noted right up front, I like my potato salad nice and creamy but I find just using mayonnaise is overly heavy. So I use a 50/50 sour cream/mayo combination.

(Reminder – mayo free version here!)

• Mayonnaise – Whole egg mayo is best as it is creamier and less tangy than ordinary mayonnaise. Readily available these days in grocery stores (it will say “whole egg mayo” on the label).

• Sour cream – Full fat please! Yogurt can be used as a substitute but sour cream does have a creamier mouthfeel.

• Horseradish cream – This is pickled fresh horseradish which has a zingy spiciness like wasabi. Because it’s pickled, it is vinegary. So this adds both a hint of spicy warmth and tang to the dressing.

  If you’re lucky enough to have fresh horseradish, use half the amount and add a couple of teaspoons of vinegar.

How to make potato salad

IMPORTANT! Creamy potato salads really are better made with starchy potatoes for texture and flavour, but you really need to take care not to overcook else they will crumble too much when tossing. Waxy potatoes would be easier to use because they hold their shape….but the eating part is not as good! I’ve done a lot of potato salad eating in my time to arrive at this conclusion.

1. Start in cold water – Cook cut potatoes starting in cold water. Never start potatoes in boiling water else they will cook too much on the outside before the inside cooks and crumble when tossed!

   Check frequently – Once the water comes up to the boil, start checking at 4 minutes and every 30 seconds thereafter. As soon as you can pierce a potato with almost no resistance, drain immediately. They will continue cooking with the residual heat.

2. French Dressing – Shake French Dressing ingredients in a jar until combined.

3. Creamy Dressing – Mix the ingredients in a bowl until smooth.

4. Soak hot potatoes – Gently transfer the potatoes in a bowl and pour over the French Dressing. Toss very gently using a rubber spatula. Minimum tosses just to coat, then set aside for at least 2 hours for the potatoes to cool and absorb the dressing. We are essentially marinating the potatoes here. You know this is going to be good!

   The cooled potatoes are also less fragile less susceptible to breaking when we mix with the remaining ingredients.

5. Add-ins – Add the cucumber, celery, onion, most of the bacon and all the creamy dressing. Toss gently until mixed through. If time permits, set aside for a few hours or better yet overnight, to let the flavours meld together. But honestly, even if you serve it straight away, it will still be the best potato salad of your life!

Proof of excellence

This potato salad will last 4 to 5 days in the fridge, and it just gets better with time. Make it once, and it will be a staple at all gatherings for years to come. I have never strayed from this recipe since the moment I tried it!

And as final proof of how great this potato salad is, even my mother who is a die-hard Japanese Potato Salad devotee couldn’t stop eating this. That’s just about the highest praise you can get.

Thank you Mrs B! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

The best Potato Salad

Recipe video above. Use this recipe if you want a really great classic potato salad. The secret step: dressing hot potatoes with French Dressing so they absorb the flavour before tossing with a creamy mayo/sour cream dressing. Every bite is perfection!

Great fresh, better in 3 hours, even better tomorrow. Thank you for the recipe, Mrs B, it really is the BEST!

Course Salad

Cuisine Western

Keyword Potato Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Cooling 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 – 8

Calories 329cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

Potato Salad

• 1 kg / 2 lb potatoes peeled and cut into 2cm/ 3/4" cubes (Aus – Sebago, Colban; US – Russet, Idaho Yukon; UK – Maris Piper, King Edward) (Note 1)
• 2 tsp cooking / kosher salt , for cooking potatoes
• 250g / 8oz streaky bacon
• 1/2 cup French Dressing – homemade (below) or store bought (Note 2)
• 3/4 cup cucumber, finely diced (1 x 15cm/6" cucumber, cut lengthwise and remove watery seeds first)
• 1 cups celery, finely sliced diagonally (~ 2 ribs)
• 1/4 cup white onion, finely minced , ~ 1/2 onion (Note 3)

Potato Salad Dressing

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise , preferably whole-egg
• 1/3 cup sour cream , full fat (sub yogurt)
• 1 tbsp horseradish cream (or horseradish relish) (Note 4)
• 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

French Dressing (essential! Note 2)

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp water (for volume, rather than more oil)
• 1/2 tsp white sugar
• 1/2 garlic clove , finely grated or minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• French Dressing – Shake ingredients in a jar until well combined.
• Cook potatoes (CAREFUL! Note 5) – Put potatoes and 2 teaspoon salt in a large pot of cold water. Turn the stove on. Once the water is simmering, cook for 4 minutes or until the potatoes are JUST cooked (still bit firm in the middle) – they will keep cooking with residual heat. Drain immediately (gently!).
• Douse hot potatoes! Carefully transfer potatoes into a large bowl and pour over French Dressing. Gently toss to coat then set aside for 2 hours so potatoes absorb the dressing and cool (less fragile).
• Crispy bacon – Lay half the bacon in a cold non-stick pan. Turn onto medium high and cook until golden (the fat will melt as the pan warms up so it cooks in its own fat). Turn and cook the other side until golden. Drain paper towels, repeat with remaining bacon. Once cool and crisp, chop into small pieces.
• Creamy Dressing – Mix ingredients in a bowl until combined.
• Toss – Add creamy dressing, celery, cucumber, onion, and most of the bacon. Toss gently to combine.
• Serving – Serve garnished with remaining bacon. If time permits, I recommend setting aside for a few hours, or even better, overnight, to give the flavours a chance to meld. But still amazing served straight away! Always serve at room temperature, not fridge cold.

Notes

With many thanks to Mrs B, my friends’ mother who first introduced me to the game-changing French-dressing-doused-potatoes method!

1. Potato – use starchy/floury or all rounders rather than waxy ones as they will absorb and take in flavour better. They also slightly “mash” on the edges which is exactly how potato salad should be, in my opinion. Nobody wants to bite into flavourless bland potato chunks with sharp edges and slippery surface!

Read in post for notes on potato variety and why starchy is best.

2. French Dressing – Used to add flavour inside the potato pieces and this is what makes this potato salad so much better than the standard versions! The vinegar in the dressing also cuts through the richness of an otherwise very creamy dish.

3. White onion – Not as harsh as brown onion. Sub with 1 large eschallot (US: shallot) ie French onion, or  1/2 cup red onion or 1/3 cup brown onion finely minced.

4. Horseradish cream – Pickled fresh horseradish that adds a bit of wasabi-like spiciness and vinegar, balances richness of dressing (doesn’t make it spicy). If you are lucky enough to have fresh horseradish, use half the amount and add 2 teaspoons vinegar. Can skip and just add 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar.

5. BOILING POTATOES – Take care as we are using starchy/floury potatoes which will crumble too much if overcooked. We want the edges slightly “mashed” once mixed with dressing (potato pieces should not have sharp corners!) but if they are overcooked they will break too much.

Start checking at 4 minutes and check every 30 seconds. Drain even if they still a touch too firm because they will keep cooking.

6. Leftovers will keep for 4 to 5 days. Always serve at room temp – creamier and you can taste the flavours better!

Nutrition per serving assuming 8 servings. This factors in 2 tablespoons of bacon fat discarded.

Nutrition

Serving: 310g | Calories: 329cal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 529mg | Potassium: 669mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 171IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

Originally published August 2014. This is such a staple recipe in my life, I had to re-publish it with a video, sparkling new photos and of course add a Life of Dozer section!!

The potato salad family

German Potato Salad

Wickedly Delish Sweet Potato Salad

Lemon Potato Salad

Red Potato Salad with Bacon and Corn (no mayo!)

Devour – Maple Sweet Potato Salad With Tamarind Dressing

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing

Summer salads I love

Pearl Couscous Salad

Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing

Macaroni Salad

Wild Rice Salad

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad

The most amazing avocado pasta salad

Coleslaw

Pesto pasta salad

Antipasto Chickpea Salad

Pasta and Rice Salads

Life of Dozer

I was at the Good Food & Wine Show in Sydney on the weekend! JB and I were doing a cooking show on stage and book signings/meet ‘n greets.

The Fun Police (council) wouldn’t let Dozer into a food show. So I took the next best thing – a life size cardboard cut out. We’re getting a lot of mileage out of 2D Dozer! 😂

SaveSave

The post The Best Potato Salad appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.