Potato spirals with tomato salsa and creme fraiche
These are made from a dough of mashed potato, cheese and polenta that bakes into a crisp, delicious snack. Save time by microwaving the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, until soft, instead of baking them. Don’t throw away the hollowed-out skins: mix them with a little oil and bake to make a great nibble or crunchy salad topping.
15 mins
Prep
1hr 50 mins
Cook
6 as a snack
Serving size
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil, for greasing
80g creme fraiche, to serve
For the mashed potato dough
2 large baking potatoes, skin on and poked all over with a fork (650g net weight)
20g unsalted butter, softened
30g quick-cook polenta
40g mature cheddar, finely grated
Salt
For the salsa
2 plum tomatoes, very finely chopped
1 tsp oregano leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
Method
1. Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the potatoes on an oven tray lined with baking paper and bake for an hour, turning them once halfway, until cooked through (this will take longer the larger your potatoes are), then remove and leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile, mix all the salsa ingredients in a small serving bowl with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt.
3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthways and scoop the flesh into a large bowl (reserve the skins for another use – see introduction); you should have about 350g potato flesh. Mash this very well, then chill for 20 minutes.
4. Stir the remaining dough ingredients and a half-teaspoon of salt into the mash, then form into a smooth ball – it will have the consistency of play-dough.
5. Grease two large rectangles of baking paper and lightly grease them with olive oil. Put the “dough” ball on one piece of paper and press it out into a rough rectangle. Cover with the other piece of paper, then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 35cm x 25cm rectangle about 3mm thick.
6. Transfer to a large tray, carefully peel off the top sheet of paper, then bake for 16 minutes, until the underside is very nicely browned. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then, while it’s still warm, tightly roll up the sheet of crisped potato and cut into 4cm pieces.
7. Arrange the potato spirals on a plate and serve with the salsa and a bowl of creme fraiche alongside.