Romantic Potato Recipes for Valentine’s Day!
In this post ...
“Only two things in this world are too serious to be jested on,
potatoes and matrimony”
Irish saying – a romantic people!
Of course chocolate, champagne and lobster, not necessarily in that order, do have their part to play on Valentine’s Day but so do potatoes, here are some ideas.
Heart Shaped Sautéed Potatoes
As shown above. These are a nice romantic touch, sure to get you in the mood! I was very pleased with these as I don’t have a heart shaped cutter, artistic or what?
Best Way to Sauté Potatoes
When working with sculptured potatoes such as these be cautious and gentle so as to retain their beauty.
~ Cover the prepared potatoes in cold water, add a little salt and bring to the boil.
~ Top with a lid, turn down the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
~ Drain and return to the saucepan, off the heat, for a couple more minutes to dry out, that will make them crisper.
~ Whilst the potatoes are drying heat a little oil in a frying pan
~ When hot add the potatoes and fry till crisp on one side. Turn gently and cook till also crisp and golden on the other side.
~ Serve immediately.
After taking their portrait I ate these two with salmon trimmings (we just bought a whole salmon and I prepped it for the freezer – see here for 10 Ways to Make the Most of a Whole Salmon) and salad. Lovely Sudden Lunch!
Potato Roses
These are not my idea. Wish I’d thought of them but sadly not! Here’s the recipe from Family Friends Food
Pink Mashed Potatoes
For some reason (us girlies being the way we are – or are we?) pink is seen to be an appropriate colour for everything Valentiney and pink mashed potato is a very easy contender being just beetroots and potato mashed together.
Obviously the higher the proportion of beetroot to potato the darker the colour of the mash. As I was trying for romantic I only used 1 small cooked beetroot to 2 large baking potatoes. For a bolder colour and earthier taste up the beetroot! If using cooked beetroot cut them into pieces and add to the potatoes for the last few minutes of cooking time, just to soften and heat through. If using raw beetroot then cook them in a separate pan till tender before draining and amalgamating.
While on the subject I thought I just add a few instructions for making excellent mash.
How to Make Great Mashed Potatoes
~ Use floury potatoes such as King Edward, Maris Piper or Russet.
~ Peel and cut into similar sized pieces; not too big, there’s no point in wasting time and energy waiting longer than necessary for them to cook.
~ Put into a pot with enough cold lightly salted water to cover by a depth of about 10mm.
~ Bring to a boil over high heat, turn down the heat, cover partially and simmer till completely tender which takes about 20 minutes or a bit more depending on the size of the pieces and the specie of potato.
~ Drain thoroughly, return the potatoes to the hot pan and leave to steam uncovered for a minute or two.
~ Add a knob of butter and splash of milk or cream, cover and set aside for five minutes which makes the potatoes mash more easily.
~ Mash the potatoes as lightly and quickly as possible, if you overwork them there is a danger they will become gluey.
Another good addition to mashed potato, for Valentine’s Day (or maybe a day or two before, build your strength up!) is Pesto which contains not one but four known aphrodisiacs; basil, garlic, pine nuts and cheese!
A potato gratin with lots of cream can be a luxurious side dish or, add something yummy and possibly pink to turn it into a main dish like this …
Potato and Hot Smoked Salmon Gratin
For 2, possibly greedy, people
15g soft butter
500g new potatoes
250g hot-smoked salmon fillet
250ml double cream (or mix of cream and milk)
½ tsp whole grain mustard or grated lemon zest
salt and pepper
~ Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350°F/160ºC fan/gas 4.
~ Use the butter to grease a shallow ovenproof dish.
~ Peel and thinly slice the potatoes.
~ Flake the salmon.
~ Layer up potatoes and salmon thus – potato, salmon, potato, salmon, potato, seasoning each layer a little as you go.
~ Stir the mustard or lemon zest into the cream and pour over the dish.
~ Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.
~ Uncover and continue to cook till the potatoes are tender and the top golden brown – 20 minutes or a bit more. (If you’d like an extra crunchy topping sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs or even panko crumbs for this final bit of cooking).
“The potato, like man, was not meant to dwell alone.”
Shila Hibben
Aphrodisiac Recipes Cookbook
At this stage I feel it appropriate to mention my book which doesn’t contain many potato recipes but is still good!
Food for Love: Eat your Way to a Better Sex Life ~ Win/Win Situation!
A review …
“It’s a first for me and a very welcome one at that. Written in a most wonderful way, it makes for laugh out loud moments, never have I had to tell my Lovely Hubby so often what I am laughing at when reading what he assumes is just another cook book on my Kindle.”
Suzy Bowler
Having been a somewhat itinerant chef for over 30 years I was amazed, on my return to the UK, at the blatant food waste that now seems to be rife in the country; amazed and irritated. So much so that I decided to start a blog about spontaneous cooking from leftovers to show people that there are great alternatives to throwing food away.
One Comment
Wendy Percival
I'm a great potato fan! (Think I must have Irish genes from somewhere.) I like your heart-shaped idea. As we're having a 'romantic meal in' on Saturday, I shall attempt to replicate them! Happy Valentine's Day, Suzy.